The Portland daily press., 1898-12-30
HOW TO GOVERN HAWAII.
Opinions in Congress Vary
Widely.
Vary
Opinions
. SHARP CONTEST LIKELY TO OCCUR
.0VER THE MATTER.

House Committee Strikes Out the
Property Qualifications Minority
Objects to Several Features of the
Proposed Law.
Washington, December ga sharp
contest will occur in the House over the
legislation for the government of Hawaii
as the majority and minority of the com
mittee on territories do not agree as to
the form of bill. Neither do the ma
jority agree with the report of the Senate
committee on foreign relations although
the differences are not such as to cause
great difficulty. The majority report OF
tina House committee changes the bill
introduced by Mr.. Hit only slightly
with the exception of the qualifications
for Senators and Representatives The
property qualifications are stricken out
and any citizen who is a voter and has
been resident of Hawaii for three years
is eligible Those who were citizens Of
Hawaii on August IL, 1898, are made citi-
zens of the United States. One House
will not be allowed to constitute the legis-
lature in case the other adjourns. nor Will
it be necessary to have the sanction Of
TIRES members to introduce bill in the
legislature. The delegate to Congress
shall possess the same qualifications as a
voter. Bonds on the credit Of the public
domain shall be payable in not less than
five nor more than fifteen years. One
years residence must be proved to obtain
q div orce.
The minority report was prepared by
MIR. Il. b. Ferguson, delegate from New
Mexico, who is a member of the sub COM
mittee. MIR Henry of Texas has also
minority memorandum, but Is now absent
The report says the minority is unable to
agree TO some features of tbs bill as ap-
proved by the majority OF that sub-con-
Inittee and it continues:
sit is important to emphasize the fact
that new territory as acquired should be
governed as other territories of the United
I States have been from the foundation OF
the government, with the view OF uitl7
mate admission to st itehood. Upon this
theory we believe that Hawaii should be
given substantially the same form of
government as has bean in other terri
tories of the United States, and the i'm
pertance of this view is increased rather
than diminished by the imminent Philip
Mine question New territory which We
of its population or because OF its distance
from our shores for statehood in the
union, ought to be left alone entirely.
'sWe therefore object to the provision of
the bill making the Supreme court of the
territory of Hawaii judge of the member
ship OF the house of the territorial leglsia-
ture of Hawaii. We believe shat each
house should be the final judge Of the
qualification of It's members. The inno-
Walton not only fails to preserve the con
stitutional independence of the three
great branches of government, executive,
legislative and judicial, but tends to de.
grade tue court to the level of political
souahbles and partisan brawls. 1t tends
also 10 increase the already dangerous
lower of the courts in our system of
government. We also object to the
property qualification for members OF the
Senate of the Legislature of Hawaii. This
qualification also extends TO the voters for
members of that branch of the legislature.
This is an innovation recognizing by law
the right of wealth to govern and is GER
tainly dangerous tendency in republic
already threatened by the too great power
of concentrated wealth.
IA residence of three years in Hawaii
is also necessary for one to be quahieu
voter AS our desire is or should be to
Americauize these islands we think
residence of even less than one year would
be Preferable
1--WE also think that too great power is
given to the governor, especially we OBJ
ject to his being empowered to nominate
part Of The judiciary of that island for
life. Ne believe that all the judges as in
other territories of the United StaUes
should be appointed by the President and
from the bona fide resident bar of the
territory for a term of four years. If life
judges are to be appointed at all they
should be appointed by the President"
There are other minor points of differ
ence between the minority and majority
of the subcommittee, but the above are
the principal ones The minority make o
objectIon to She educational qualifications
for citizenship al they believe this to
have worked well in the South.