The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-10-24
METHOD OF THE P. P. R.
EXPLAINED ny MIR. JOHN EMME-
LUTH BRIEFLY.
Political inequalities the Aim
of the system.


such material as l have at hand to ex-
plain for the benefit of "Votes" and
others the system known as Preferential
Proportional Representation, its appli-
cation to our local conditions and a COM
parison OF present methods with the p.
p. II. way.
In doing so fully recognize that there
may be others who have given the mat
ter more thought than | have and am
open to correction in any utterances !
may make-on the subject, inviting criti-
cism with the hope and purpose of es-
tablishing in the minds OF the voters OF
these Islands a clear understanding
and proper appreciation of n system OF
voting, which. incorporated in the fun
damenta law OF the land, will enshrine
in halo of truth the first two sections
OF the Constitution which read:
ARTICLE l-RIGHTs OF THE PERSON.
Section God hath endowed all men
with certain inalienable rights, among
which are life, liberty and the right OF
acquiring possessing and protecting
property, and of pursuing and obtaining
happiness.
Section 2-The Government is con-
Quoted for the common good and not for
profit, honor or private interest Of any
one man or family or class of men.
| well remember the expression made
use of by member of the late Consti.
tutional Convention when the above
quoted sections were read the first
time. he said THAT is an embellish-
m ent which couched on one form or
another can be found on almost every
constitution of the present day." At
that time | confess the scales had not
dropped from my own eyes sufficiently
to permit of my comprehending their
full import; but as | view it today
those two sections should have been the
groundwork, the base as it were on
which to build the Constitution, and
the absurdity of your morning con-
temporary: why have the Portuguese
no rep esentation," would not have
been heard in the land, because under
equal rights they would have obtained
representation without seeking it
through political organization.
Here is what the Declaration of indie
pendence says in regard to popular
rights: 1--WE hold these truths to be
self evident, that all men are created
equal; that they are endowed by their
Creator with certain unalienable rights;
and among these are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. That to
secure these rights governments are in
stituted among men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the gov.
? erned; and that whenever any form of
government becomes destructive of
these ends it is the right of the people to
abolish it"
l have quoted the above, written
more than hundred years ago, as il
> seems most prophetic of what is soon tC
occur in the Land OF the free: there vii
- either be a peaceful evolution through
p. P. r., or the present inequalities will
q have to be wiped out by more crue
= methods.
To begin with the subject matter o
this article, it will be admitted by every
;, candid man that person entitled t,
vote should be equally entitled to repre-
sentation and that all laws on the sub
;, ject should be directed to the attain
:, ment of this result. But i'll practice tn,
very reverse is the case, and while tn
4, Constitution fairly roans under tn
load of conditions and qualifications
= which are prerequisite to man becom
- ing voter and is directory in larg
i. measure as to how, when and where h
is to register and ballot, while the stat
:, ute books are full of laws to proven
=, election frauds, ETC., the whole OF thei
=, are singularly silent as to the right G
each voter to equal representation wit
10 all other voters.
70 Under the Republic the condition
have been somewhat altered from wha
a obtained under the monarchy; but tn
results attained are of "a nature to il
vite unfavorable criticism. MOI
especially is this the case with til
a cumulative vote, which, by the return
ar of the only election thus far held und.
at its provisions, has proven itself as il
a. operative here as elsewhere in obtainin
r. just representation.
IL. Enlarging the representative distric
he and increasing the number of repT
ar sentatives to be elected may be an in
he provement over the single district pla
en- of former days which was outrageous
k. defective, there having been J
as semblance of equality of representatic
* under it as shown by the election r
turns of 1899, the only complete I
turns have been able to obtain.
On the whole there is but little
ct hope for in the way OF improveme
er under the present system OF voting; al
ty we can look forward to the same XII
s. OF political miscarriages. When po
ITO tics are once more actively INDUCED
Isl by the whole element eligible to becoI
led voters, as took place in the days VIII
m we went cahoots with the Devil--a
'rk got left.
on. As already stated the only election
ub turns available are those OF 1892
Mobiles and Representatives and OF
cumulative ballot for delegates to
:, Constitutional Convention last Nj
' a, For the purposes OF this article | sh
w take the returns from Hawaii OF
VI first mentioned and those from
,sa Island OF the latter, tabulating them
49, such manner as to show the relat
IN merits OF these two systems and &C
-. pairing them with what would be
result under the svstem 1 advocat