The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-12-09
COLUMN
The Territory Of Hawaii.

The Territory OF Hawaii.
One of the perplexlng questions which
is to come before the present Congress
is the new constitution for the govern
ment of the territory OF Hawaii This
Is the first attempt made by the United
States IN colonial rule, for although the
islands are to be styled '',erritoly'
and are to have a representative in con
gress, they come, from their location and
the character of their population, dis
tinctly under the head of a colony. AS
in the territories the President is to ap
point the Governor and number of
federal officers. The Governor has the
appointment of the Attorney General,
treasurer, superintendent of publ;
works, superintendent of instruction,
the auditor and his deputy, surveyor
and chief sheriff. President Dole of the
former republic dissents from this,
urging that too much power is placed
III the Governors hands. We believe
he is right in this respect for if the peo
ole have sufficient intelligence to elect
legislature they should have sufficient
to elect their territorial officersA
Other provisions of the proposed con-
stitutiOn are as follows:
"All white persons, including Por
tnguese, and persons of African des-
cent. and all persons descending from
The Hawaiian race on either paternal or
maternal side, who were citizens of the
republic of Hawaii Immediately prior to
he transfer of the sovereignty thereof
t. the Uuited States. are hereby de-
clared citizens OF the United States"
Provision is made for legislature OF
two houses, senate OF thirty members
and a house of representatives of $50
members, to be elected the first Tues
day after the first Monday in NOvem
Der, 1899, and biennially thereafter. The
supreme court is made the sole judge
of the legality of the election in case of
contest.
A senator must be a male citizen so
years old, having lived three years in
the territory, the owner of $1,000 worth
of property, or having an income of
$1,000 per year.
A representative must he % years
old, own property or have an income OF
$3.50 per year.
Voters for representatives must be
male citizens 81 years of age, one year
in the territory, to have registered, paid
all taxes and be able to understand
ingly speak, read and write the English
or Hawaiian language.
/ The qualifications for voters for SEN
ator includes all the above and to own
ST GOO worth Of real estate, or an income
of $500.
+. Hovision is also made for the election
of delegate to the house of represent
atives in the congress of the United
States. who is given the same powers
as delegates from other territories.
The governor is to appoint a chief
justice. two associate justices of the
supreme court, judges of the circuit
court, members of the board of health,
commissioners Of public instruction.
prison inspectors, boards of registra-
ton, inspectors of election and other
public boards. He is to possess the
veto power, which may be overriden
by vote of two-t thirds of the legisla-
ture.
Foreign goods imported in to the
islands after July z, 1898, and after
wards brought to the United States, are
to pay the same duties as if imported
direct. The existing laws of Hawaii,
not inconsistent with those of the
United States, are to continue in force.
The laws of the United States, locally
applicable, are TO have the same force
as in the United States.
While we do not pretend to set our
judgment against that of commissioners
who have made this a study, we must
say that the idea of property qualifica-
ton for suffrage is distasteful and en-
tirely un-American. Local conditions
may be such as to render this necessary,
to certain degree, but we fai: to see
why different qualification should be
made between representative aud sem
atorial electors. This question should