The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1894-08-03
RESTRICTING THE FRANCHISE.

According TO statement, Iount
elsewhere in this paper, the people
of Louisiana are coming to saving
sense that universal suffrage, with
out reference to the qualification:
of the voter, is not the unmixeC
blessing which politicians who dea
in votes have represented it to be
An effort is being made in that
State to restrict the franchise tc
persons who either own property
assessed at 5000, or who can read
| The Constitution in his mother
tongue. A provision of this kind
in Louisiana will undoubtedly re-
strict the franchise very mate,
rally.
1t should be noticed that the
property qualification above set
forth applies to all classes of voters
while that in the Hawaiian Con-
stitution applies to voters for
Senators only. The educational
qualification named is certainly
an extremely moderate one, and
we believe that the time is not far
off when as much or more will be
required of every voter in the
United States. The signs of a re-
action against the influence of
ignorance and crime in politics are
not wanting.
What is bringing this reaction
about is simply the omnipresent
fact of disagreement. Modern
society is confronted with problems
and dangers just as serious as any
of those which, in the past, have
made a wreck of Governments and
States. The advantage which we
have nowadays is simply in the
fact that we are more fully equipped
to meet these dangers than former
ages have been. Science has thrown
a flood of light upon political and
social life, the laws of moral and
physical health, while applied to
the practical arts it has enormously
increased production. The spirit
of Christianity supplies the ele-
ment of conference, of altruism
necessary to hold in check the ten
denotes which are always disinte-
grating society. With this equip
ment there need be no fear that
progressive forces will not triumph
in the end.
They must be set to work, how
ever. The excuses of industrial
ism will never be cured, if the ma
chine is to be left to tend itself.
We are born under the star of COM
merce, and in many respects it is a
baleful planet. Unrestricted COM
petition has sharpened the danger
Gus antithesis between the poor and
the rich. 1t has raised up combi-
nations of private persons which
overshadow the State, and which
will speedily control it if not them
selves controlled. These combina-
tons, whether of laboring men or
of capitalists, are too powerful to
exist without restraint in a free
country. Yet they cannot be sup
pressed without social revolution.
They are the opposing armies, mar
shalled for the social war.
How can society, through its Or
gan the Government, possibly deal
with these threatening problems if
its machinery is rusted and Grip
pied by the overwhelming FREEDOM
inence of an ignorant or criminal
vote? This is just where the shoe
pinches in the United States. The |
future belongs to Democracy, but
to democracy which is cleaner,
wiser and more serious than the |
democracy of the nineteenth cen
tury. The reform must come from |
below, not from above. Only honest |
and understanding voters can
make a wise and honest admin
istration. Politics must be re- |
spected, but they never will be I'M
til good men make politics respect
Al