Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-31

naturalized. This practically threw the
choice of the upper house into the hands
Of foreigners. and enabled them mainly to
control legislation. This change worked
fairly well, but Its good results became
impaired by corrupt registration Of large
numbers of natives not really possessing
the required income, who helped elect a
bad class of mobiles.
Educational Suffrage.
The new queen was determined to have
none of these limitations upon her sovereign
power. Undertaking three years ago to
overthrow liberal government and the par
ticipation of intelligent foreigners in max
Ing such a government as civilization de-
manded, she was herself overthrown, and
the republic of Hawaii established. The
principal change made in the legislature
was that of separating the two houses, as
In the old constitution of 1851 No material
change was made in the qualifications of
voters for either house. To all natives and
Engiish-speaking foreigners there was prac-
t1cally universal suffrage for the lower house
as before. Every voter must be able to
read and write either English or Hawaiian
a provision which excludes most Asiatics
from the polls. The voting qualification for
senators was left unchanged at $500 in
come. Strict provisions We're enacted 10
secure careful registration of voters.
wherein then. do we materially differ
from your states in being less democratic
and enabling the select body of senators
to oVerrule the popular branch of the leg
stature? 1t is admitted that no body of
legislators chosen by the weak-minded ia
the government. Their position must, in
some way, be rendered subordinate, or gov
eminent would be wrecked. Self-preserva-
tlon compels us to diverge somewhat from
tne strict system of popular government
We make the senate the more powerful
body, so that 1t can prevent an ill-condi-
toned lower house, chosen by AN ignorant
pcpulace, from blocking the wheels of gov
- I'LL
the legislature of absolute power Of the
purse" If the two houses cannot agree on
appropriations, the appropriations of the
former period continue in force and the
government does not depend on having its
supplies freshly voted by the legislature
BESIDES this the senate controls the
cholce of president. He is elected by a
majority of both houses together, but al
ways including a majority of the senate.
rms Is not ollgarchy, nor anything like it.
me senate is chosen by large constitu-
ency. Ihey are not aristocrats A major
lty or them are hard-handed workers labor
ing artisans or farmers, or small trades
men, the best part of the common people
Ihey are class Of men habitually indie
penaeht IN character, and free from the
control or those corrupt bosses who form
the real oligarchies in the debased popula-
tions of your cities. At the same time
that the senate and executive together hold
sufhcIent control for safety the lower
house continues to exert a large measure
or power, because without it's concurrence
there cannot only De no new legislation
put no new taxes or duties can be levied
ana no new expenditures can be authorized
differing from those of the previous bien-
NAL period. Thus the common people exert
a real and large power in the state They
are not a nullity, but have a voice ard can
make it heard.
The Dominant Class.
The main reform accomplished by the re-
public was the elimination of the incomoe
tent and capricious native monarch and
the lodSlnS OF controlling power in the in
telllSent and capable class of the nonu
lation: Ihere is, of course, no method OF
selecting such class with certainty On the
whole. the most available test is that of
such an amount of property or income as
cannot commonly be possessed by the in
eapaon or uhthrl1ty class. The average in
come OF the common artisan will fairly So.
iect the civilized and industrious norton Of
.ne hawaiian public and distinguish them
from the thrntless and unframed Not hay-
ing an ioeal population, We cannot at,ply to
them an ideal system of popular GOVERN
ment Still minors in mental deyelonnent
II is necessary for themselves and for the
whole people that some measure of on.rd
ianship should be exercised over thsn,
Happily, there is large and ruling element
OF our population who are eminently fitted
to exercise this power N
Our claim of fitness 20 enter the Ar,ar;o,,
Union as free and well-ordered state 10
based on the above fact of our possessing
such class who naturally and easily dom
clally that they are Americans. and give
the state an American character and tome
1t is true that one-third of our ponula tion
are Chinese and Japanese; but they have
no part whatever in political affairs II is
also true that one-third of the neon,a 40
native Hawaiians, possessing votes al
though with little capacity for usefullv az
e e suffrage. But to Offset this is the
1act that our constitution is such thar the
controlling power Is in the hands Of the
capable and intelligent class and that a ma
1ority of that class are people of an nm
u I nlgh grade of character and ability.
II Is the existence Of so excellent a class
OF our population that insures able. honest
ana nlghly intelligent government. II is q
CLASS OF such natural force and sense that
IL spontaneously 8. leads; Its power is such
and naturally.
Ihis leading element is mainly American
Here in practical possession-a most he.
az ncent posssssion-of Hawaii is a strong
american colony. 1t is the only colony of
Americans on the face of the globe ONT
side OF your own territories. We have vim
dicated our character as Americans nv es
!.aonsnlng here strong and free republic,
IN when we nave educated the weak and
ignorant PolynesianS usefully to partici-
pate Our government is daily growing
stronger, our institutions better adjusted,
our finances more sound. our ciyiIiza tion
more finished. The truth is that the United
states have never in all their history had
rendered to them a territory where Amer
lcansm was already so dominant or so
"orthlIy developed as it is today in Hawaii
But Hawaii's resources are but little de-.
xeloped. Its population is yet to fiji IN.
We have room for 100000 Americans. who
are vet to occupy this charming group.
with it's sweet climate and fertile Soil The
remaining 10000 of unmixed natives will
IN half century be mingled and lost in the
HOOD Of our coming white poplation. Our
oV'ooo Asiatlcs will have mostly returned to
,nelr own continent, and what remain will
be less observed than they are now on the
racine coast. In half a century no state
IN the Union will be more purely and thor
oughiy american than Hawaii. And there
will be no section of her imperial domain
OF which America will be more proud or
which she will count more precious than
her hawaiian state, holding her dominion
over the great North Pacific ocean
kAMEHAMEHA
AIMED AT HIS MAJESTY.