The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1894-06-09
CLEAR AND CONVINCING.

The following article was. contri
buted by man to the discussion
of the suffrage held a short time
since. It is so we'll worthy of a
larger audience that we take this
method of drawing to it the public
attention. 1t is purely practical
paper, and is intended especially
for those who fear the effect of ad-
uniting women to any share in the
franchise at this time.
There are many who favor wo-
man suffrage as an abstract ques-
ton of right or justice or even of
expediency, under certain condi-
tions or in its ultimate effects, but
who doubt the expediency of the
innovation at the present time and
under present conditions in Hawaii
mel. Will women suffrage, under
proper educational and property
qualifications, here and now, inn
prove the general vote?
In the first place, the bad legisla-
ton of the past decade in Hawaii
has been due not SO much to lack
of intelligence as to lack of charac-
ter on the part of the voters. It is
so everywhere, no one would for a
moment think of dividing either
voters or Legislators into desirable
or undesirable classes on lines of
intelligence. Many voters and
Legislators who some years ago
were counted among the leaders for
good government are now num-
bered on the other side, certainly
not because they have lost intelli-
gence, but because they have lost
character. While educational and
property qualifications do in fact,
and with much good effect on that
account, directly increase the in
telligent vote, yet these qualifca-
tons are in reality imposed rather
for the purpose of increasing indi-
rectly the conservative and
moral vote. Those who have
property and those who are
educated naturally are more con-
sentative and more respectful of
the rights of others. They most
want conservative and patriotic
and trusted men in the legislative
body. Now, very few men cast
their votes for one candidate or an
other because they have come to
calm, disinterested, intellectual
conclusion one way or the other on
particular public questions. Most
questions that come before the
arise after the MEM
bers of that body have been elect
ed. The voters have no oppor-
tunity to pass upon their general
principles, to say nothing of the
details of the laws. And as to the
few leading issues that are dis
cussed in the election campaign,
the masses are led chiefly by the
character of the leaders, or take
sides one way or the other upon
party lines. What we need is
good men elected, and what people
7ote for is not this or that parti- r
,ular question, but for this or that
nan who can be depended upon to
let on certain general good or bad
ines as the various questions arise ;;
rom time to time. Now, will any :
ne say that the women of Hawaii I
7ill as whole more than the men !
asst their votes for bad men Will ]
~ one say this after considering l
heir great susceptibility to moral q
their large majorities in t
hurch and school membership, I
nd their countless organizations :
Dr. charitable and philanthropic
1ork ? If women should be adj !
litted ON the same basis as men,
nd, if they were no better than
len, the most that could be said b
that both the good and the bad T
otes would be increased in the 8
anne proportion, and that the re- s
lit would therefore be the same O
, now. /,