The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-02-16
THIS is THE DAY
Legislature to Meet in Joint SeS-
sion at Noon.
MESSAGE OF ACTING PRESIDENT
Under Constitution Mr.. Dole Could
not Communicate to Lawmakers.
MIR. Cooper's Paper

Acting President Cooper has his
troubles also. He is invariably clever
to the newspaper people and has the
good will of the entire corps. Rarely
does he fail to help out huntsman for
a piece of news. That is, he rarely
fails him when he has the news. AS
Minister of Foreign Affairs, he is the
repository of lots and lots of informa
tion that the writer's would dearly love
to gain a look upon, but during the
times when correspondence is under
way he insists on talking about almost
anything else. The reporters under
stand him pretty we'll and have come
to learn that when he is disinclined
to discuss a certain matter, it is best
to drop it entirely. On occasion he
become a sphinx. He has resisted all
Establishments brought into play in
effort to learn something of the latest
in the Japanese letter writing. 1t was
yesterday that the Acting President
had a rather trying quarter of an hour
several times There are about half
dozen correspondents of foreign pa
pers and syndicates here. In the first
place a couple of them thought they
should have exclusive advance copies
of the message the Acting President
will read to the joint assembly today
All the correspondents were keen to
send the message by the City of Pc
king. The Acting President had de-
cided that he would not let the mes
sage leave Hawaii till after it had been
read to the Legislature. 1t was in
vain that the newspaper people cited
precedents. The Acting President was
firm and the message will not go
abroad till after it has been published
here, following its transmission to the
lawmakers in regular session.
There is quite a story attached to
this particular message. An impress
ion has been put forth by at least one
Of the city papers that Acting Presi-
dent Cooper is handling a revision or
abridgement of a message sent back
from the United States by Mr.. Dole.
This statement is entirely incorrect
and is unjust and discourteous to both
the absent President and the Cabinet
member who is acting for him. 1t will
be Mr. Cooper's message that will go
to the legislators and the people of
the Islands today OF course message
ed for the United States. Mr.. Dole
even sent matter from abroad, but it
was not received till after Acting Pre-
sident Cooper had completed the draft
of the document that will be heard to-
day. While the message is actually
the work of one man and that man
the Acting President, as has invariably
been the practice, the paper is read
to the entire Ministry for approval,
and the author Of it hears their sug-
gestions, and accepts data from the
several departments.
Attorney-General Smith was asked
about the message last evening and
at once referred the interviewer to
these two paragraphs in the Constitu-
ton of the Republic:
Section 1. In case of the tempor-
ary disability or absence from the
country of the President, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, while such disabil-
ity or absence continues, shall act as
President"
Section s. In case any Minister
shall act as President as herein pro-
vided, he shall, while so acting, have
all the rights and powers and be sub
jecs to all the duties and obligations
by this Constitution granted to or pre-
scribed for the President"
The Acknowledgement added that it
naturally and legally became the duty
of the Acting President in the absence
Of the President, to prepare and send
in the message and that of course. Mr..
Cooper had done this with the APPROX
al Of the Ministry and after prepara-
tion of the message in the usual man
ner. Acting President Cooper's mes
sage will contain about $500 words
and viii no doubt be an able review,
statement and declaration: The Act
ing President is we'll known as a pro-
gressive man of positive views on all
subjects and the whole people will
look forward with interest to his ex-
preston on various live topics and sig
nal issues.
At II noon today the Senate and
House will meet in joint session in