Hawaii holomua = Progress. [volume] (Honolulu) 1893-1895, 1894-02-07
And Still an Oligarchy

IA" " 1--' "F
pears which Is claimed-on the
very best authority of course-to
be the new constitution for the
new Hawaiian Repub-
lie. The document is very likely
genuine; il is at least sufficiently
outrageous selfish, and idiotic TO
make missionary paternity
extremely probable. We shall
give some of the most prominent
points in this te-document"
especially for the benefit of the
Hawaiians who then can see for
themselves the consideration
which the revolutionary govern
ment has for their civil rights
and also how Western civiliza-
ton understands republican
institutions, equal rights, and
government by the people. The
proposed republic is to have a
Legislative body consisting Of an
upper House, and lower House
sitting apart. Qualified to vote
for representatives to the lower
House are everybody who can
speak and write English, and
have paid their taxes. Nothing
is mentioned in regard to citizen
ship or term of residence, and
We are justified in believing that
the intention is to allow all aliens
a vote, thereby continuing the
abnormal condition heretofore
existing, that any foreigner can
receive the rights pertaining to
citizenship, without assuming the
responsibilities or burdens, and
can, whenever it suits him, call
upon some foreign government, to-
which he owes allegiance, for pro-
lection and interference, if his
citizenship in Hawaii should
become disagreeable. Under
the electoral qualifications for
the lower House the japanese
will receive a vote, when qualifi-
ed bnt nothing is said about the
Chinese. There are a large num-
Der of Chinese who can read and
write English, and we suppose
that they will also be admitted TO
a vote. We have virtually moth
ing against the reading and writ
ing qualification, although we
must say, that it gives peculiar
illustration of Republican ideas,
to demand that man an has oton
country shall be proficient in a
foreign language before he re-
ceives civil rights. But let that
go. The lower IIouse, elected in
the manner described, has no
power whatever. The members
may amuse themselves by passing
acts, but if these acts don't suit
the high and mighty gentlemen in
the upper House, they go in the
waste basket and the upper
House makes laws which are
enforced. without ever being sub
mitted to the lower House or to
the people. The upper House
does not work as check on the
peoples representatives merely.
but it assumes all the Legislative
power. and the lower House is
simply allowed to modestly sug-
yest measures. II the suggestions
suit. well and good. the measures
decided on by the peoples
representatives become laws, if
not. they are ignored. There are
lot to be any conferences be-
ween the two Houses. There are
10 provisions for overriding the
veto of the executive or
be upper House. The rights
ested in the representatives of |
he people are simply nal. If |
uch a programme is not the
lost barefaced. the most impu
ent fraud and an insulting at
ampt to blind and bamboozle
4
ae people. We don't know what
is. The people cry for bread
the missionary capitalists give
lem stone. But. thank the
ord, the people are sufficiently
yilized to know the difference
stween the bread and the stone.
be high and mighty upper
ouse-Senste we suppose-is
instituted of men belonging to
at wealthy and highly intelli-
mt class now represented by {
atesman Dole, Emmeluth and