The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-07-21
Ballot Projection
Needed in Hawaii
New York Commercial- Advertiser.


C1PHE TAUNT that Hawaii is gov
III erned by an oligarchy which seized
III power against the will of the ma
III jority Is worth considering, now
that II may be the basis of demand
that congress shall extend the basis OF
suffrage though II has lost force with
the steady and orderly survival OF the
republic through five years of indepndent
existence III governments derive power
from the consent of the governed, then
the Hawaiian republic enjoyed that con-
sent by tacit submission and acluicscence
all through the Cleveland adminlstra-
ton. IL 1t enjoyed 1t by no other sane
ton. But the fact is that the Hawaiian
constitution is as democratic as is safe
III county where illiteracy prevails.
Examination of the Hawaiian constitu-
ton shows that n voter must be native
or naturalized citizen who has taken the
oath OF allegiance, is twenty years old.
mas paid his taxes, and can read and
write either in Hawaiian or English lie
must be registered and have lived fo-
, thirty days in his election district. These
are absolutely all the qualifications re-
quired for an clector of members of the
lower house of the legislature. For cleo
tors of senator's a property qualification
Is mposed-ownership of 81 500 worth of
real. OF $1,000 of personal property or re-
ceipt of an income of $500 a year. The
lower house outnumbers the upper. and
the president Is elected by the legislature
on Joint ballot.
NO one needs TO be told that these are
precisely similar to the qualifications for
voting that are now coming into vogue in
many of the United States. Massachu-
setts maintains an educational qualificd-
ton. Rhode Islands new constitution
imposes educational and pre- petty qualiii-
| MiSGlSSipni
nave adopted educational and other quail
ncatiUns, Louisiana has adopted a
complex system of qualifications Within
the last two years a tendency has arisen
all over the country to restrict the suf-
fraSe. and the hope of intelligent citi-
zens In New York is that 1t will reach
us some time. In restricting the suffrage
the trainers of the Hawaiian government
| SIMPLY followed the wise example of Mas
| sachusetts and anticipated the wise ex-
| ample OF Mississippi and Rhode Island.
| IL the presidents commission to frame a
law for our province is wise it will not en-
| large the existing basis OF suffrage.
tor Hawaii is a community like Missis-
sippi. small cluster of people who can
| READ, and who like to work. and great
| majority who are densely ignorant, will
work no more than necessary. and who,
In addition. belong to an inferior race. In
capable of taking an intelligent interest
| az ScHtijID.t Cit, Ut iFclI1C aN lntelIlSGnt
desire for power, the untaught Polyne-
sian, like the untaught African, can only
snare in politics as Il dupe, ana can effect
nothing as political dupe save his own
injury. The framers Of the Hawaiian
conhtitution had the same problem Il
mes a had the Southern white man. and
they gave 1t the same solution. Both
gave IT the only possible solution, and the
| Hawaiian is better in one way; it was
not preceded by an experimental regime
of shotguns and ballot frauds.
1t was especially necessary for the Ha.
walians to have n perfectly resp )nsib!e
ana stable government during the foul
years of their independent existence. They
were responsible to all the great powers
in Christendom, and to two powers cut.
side Christendom, for the security Of life
and property of foreigners. New YORK
can stand it's Tammany and Chicago
can stand It's aldermen without danger OF
intestinal convulsions or of foreign men.
ace. But such a government in Honolulu
as the Moses government in South Caro-.
INA would have turned the islands owe,
to police duty by the marines of half the
navies of the world. Now this DANCE,
Is forever past. But the distance o1
the islands from the coast makes it none
the less necessary that the government
erected there, whether popular or not
should be strong, substantial and conser
vative. Ha vail should be the last plac,
for any backward steps in improving the
franchise