The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-01-24
Ivs|ullcl d de STATE Suffrage
Pnvl4s.
olAuHCAvlouS Wears 40
Consultation Of the Nation ~ otsbie
Discussion -propsrty ana
Intsliisspce.

are fond OF criticising the style OF
government In the Republic Of Hawaii
and the forms proposed for the new
territorial acquisition Of the United
States. as un-Amerioan and undemo-
cratic An article In the December
Forum by Prof. McMashr shows that
practical statesmanship In the deyel-
opment Of the United States has paid
little regard TO the "glittering general
tiles" Of the Declaration Of lndepen-
denoe or the yensrated Constitution.
The men OF &c had their ideals Of the
equality OF all men before the law,
and OF the just powers of government
as conditioned In the consent OF the
governed; yet they founded their
State governments on legislation which
ignored those ideals as being subyer-
sion of order and stability, and not
fundamental 90 any good or just gov
eminent Manhood suffrage was quiet
ly set aside for sensible and reasonable
restrictions, that accorded the priyi-
iege, for privilege IL Is and not
natural inalienable right, limiting II
In Connecticut 40 those who owned
estate OF a minimum value of $l3i, or
giving an annual minimum income OF
81. In Massachusetts the voter must
have an estate worth $500, or a rental
for It OF at least si5. In n. Y. the
limitations were freehold worth 500
or a rental OF $40. In Maryland and
North Carolina, the voter must own
80 acres OF land, and In South Carolina,
besides this property qualification. he
must be a free white man believing In
the existence OF God and In a future
state OF reward and punishment. In
only one State was there anything like
universal suffrage. and that was an
unintentional blunder. The Constitu-
ton OF New Jersey gave the franchise
TO "all inhabitants Of the State" who
were II years old, and owned $3.50 OF
unincumbered property. Nothing was
said concerning race, sex, or citizen
ship. and for 81 years women, negroes,
and aliens were free to vote and used
the right.
Yet these founders Of state did not
violate any avowed principles OF right
and justice any more than did the
Constitution OF the Republic OF Hawaii
40 often estigmatyzed as undemocratic
monopolistic, plutocratic. The simple
fact In the case Is that 10 have acted
otherwise than they did, to have dis
regarded local condition and social
customs, would have been acts OF dis
organization. There Is a soft hearted
ness land soft headedness) in the
false liberality OF some theorizers, that
Is very much like betraying the cause
Of truth and freedom with a kiss.
When the time came for providing
a form of government for the vast
stretch OF territory north OF the Ohio
In spite OF the fact that nearly all ths
settlers were from che seaboard states
we'll accustomed TO self government, In
drawing up the famous ordinance Of
1884, Thomas Jefferson, the father O
democracy was very far from actini
on the theory that lust government
derives It's authority from the consent
Of the governed" The Ordinance pro
vided for a governor a secretary, ant
three Judges, elected by Congress. TIT
governor and judges selected the cod'
OF laws from the statute books OF TIN
l3 original states. Until there wer'
In the territory 5000 free white males
Of full age, not vote was cast by tn
residents for single territorial officer
Then a House Of Representative wa
elected, every member to be the Owne
Of q freehold OF 200 acres OF land. NJ
government can endure that Is not ad
justed to the wants, condition and In
telligence OF the people living unde
It. The territorial government, frs
established, has been the model OF
which succeeding territorial govern
mcnts have been fashioned. These al
imply that the u. s. Constitution ap
plies to the States and not to territor
ies; that the territories are the proper
~ ana not q part OF the u o. INA
the just powers OF the territorial gov
ernmsnts are not derived from thu
consent Of the governed: and further
more that only such men as land own
ers were Ut TO rule, and only the selec
class who owned a great deal of lan'
$500 acres) were At to legislate; tina
Constitution limited the power of tn
Federal Government over the States
but that the will OF Congress was su
preme over the Territories.
The acquision of Louisiana In $50
brought out in full force those settle
principles in the legislature that fol
lowed. Not TIL 1915 were terrltoria
officers made elective by the peopl,