The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-06-13
REGISTRATION REPEAL.

The ball of legislative qualification
was set in motion Friday when the
House of Representatives succeeded in
passing the Registration Repeal Act
three readings in as many hours. The
legislative backbone has been proven
beyond all possibility of a doubt to be
constructed of the most pliable material
on earth, and the double somersault
performed by the members of the House
is second to none that has ever been
taken in the country. From the manner
in which the Repeal Act was railroaded
through the House there seems to be no
doubt that the Senate is ready and wait
ing to follow head over heels in the
same performance, and as the bill was
introduced by a member of the Execu-
tive, it appears as though the President
was prepared to put his name to a meas
ure which repudiates a law passed by
his sanction. There was very little dis
cussion in the House upon the why's
and wherefores of the sudden acrobatic
feat that is now on the boards The
members simply stepped up, did their
little turn, and are now possibly look
ing toward their audience of constitu-
ents for round of applause. The only
satisfaction the public gets out of the
affair is expressed in the words of
citizen who said: What under the
heavens wouldn't they do if the session
were extended ten more days?" If both
branches of the Legislature should go
through the bills at the rate of three
readings in three hours, it would re-
quire only an extension of about five
days more to repeal every bill that has
been passed during the session. If the
session should be extended another ten
days we are not prepared to state what
would be the result.
Some one said in the House that the
very men who wanted the bill passed
are now the ones Directing to it. Very
well, what if they are? Is that any
reason why the Legislature should
practically admit that is ruled by the
whimpering howl of every Tom, Dick
and Harry who don't know when they
are well treated? Is the Legislature
prepared to admit that it bends to every
opposing wind that blows? Is it pre-
pared to go on record as being so weak
that it will not stand by a law that is
sound in principle because that law
does not find overwhelming favor? Is
the first Legislature of the Republic
prepared to admit that the Government
cannot enforce law that has been ia
Vorably discussed, passed and had only
about four weeks fair trial?
BY passing the Registration. RepeaI
Act the Legislature is tacitly admitting
all this and more. 1t is show ing palpa-
Die weakness. If the members who voted
for the Registration Act followed their
convictions, and then followed their
convictions in voting, within eight
weeks, for the repeal they have inaugu
rated type of personal conviction that
has never been explained in any die
tiOnary yet published The fact is thew
have allowed themselves to be inf1u- +
enced by calamity howlers, and the men
who wanted the law, got it. and then
raised a rumpus about it will be as
ready year from now to condemn the
repeal as they are to object to the bill.
Artemus Ward hit the nail on the head
when he said, Let the howlers howl.
and let calamity caIam, but let the good
work go on
We have no more sympathy for the
laboring men who wanted the protec-
ton of the law and are now clamoring
against it than the members of the Leg
islature have. But because a number
IF private citizens have shown that they