The San Francisco call., 1899-08-01

islands has beer nlaced before the three nations con-
cerned hv The Call Our first and exclusive publ
cation OF this present conclusion OF matter that Dut
lately threatened to enbro three great nations III
war is something than stroke OF news getting
enterorise True the action OF the commission was
world news OF first importance tOr the time d1spiaGS
the TransvaaI question and putting the Alaska boun-
darv ont Of news focus but its publication now re-
moves international friction and gives the people and
the Governments OF the United States, Great Britain
and Germany an opportunity to amply study the sys
TEN of government proposed for Samoa long IN ad-
vance OF the time for action upon IT. Inc pIan pro-
vides nondescript government intricate ana % COM
Dlex and probably doomed to the tate OF that Whlch
il substitutes Its radical inhrmity seems to be that It
casts out entirely all note OF the raclaI ana hatlohd
characteristics OF the Sanoans The kingship IS abol
sbed because its existence holds out prize to the
great chiefs. and its pomp and circumstance are
dear to the native love Of display and ceremonial
Abolishing means OF gratifying that inherent love
Of pageantry will not abolish the characteristic which
seeks such expression 1t would have been wiser to
use that trait as means OF guiding and training the
people into ways Of stability than to attempt the sud
den destruction Of disposition that nheres IN the
native nature
The kingship being abolished, system OF native
provincial governors is provided tor. These are 10
meet at stated times and compare notes report on
condition
trative features that may be common to all. This
assembly OF governors is not given any substantial
power either administrative, Legislative or judicial
and really amounts to nothing in the scheme. The
provincial governorshp itself carries valuable gov
ernmental function.
The real government is to consist OF an adminlstra-
tor chosen from some disinteresed power that IS to
say he is to be neither American British nor German
He will be assisted by council OF delegates, one rep
resenting each OF the three powers, America, Great
Britain and Germany, who will also exercise consular
functions This part of it amounts to the bestowment
OF extraordinary powers upon conSuls who with the
administrator are to form the legislature OF the
islands with authority to amend abolish existing
laws or to add to the present code The final judicial
authority is in chief justice, who IS OF course an
American or European Petty courts may be set up
bv the natives for petty issues and ofenses.
Here then We have scheme Of government, with
no charter no bill OF rights statement OF the ele
rlents OF personal and property rights and provi
sion to prevent their violation. In fine, there has
been no provision made to protect the rights OF the
weak against the strong. This government IS for
the natives Its excuse is the recent outbreak and
what followed But upon the head OF these dis
orders the commission say: The evils may be
grouped under four heads. First those which appear
inevitably to attend the election OF king Second,
those which are due to the rivalry OF the for
eign nationalities among themselves, and to their
disposition to take part in the native politics, and thus
increase the importance and bitterness OF the dis
pues which arise Perhaps the evils which 1t is least
easy to cure are Of this class those which arise from
the rivalry and mutual hostility OF the different foreign
natonalties. This hostility permeates all depart
ments of life The traders side combine
against those on the other. The Municipal. Council
is divided into two parties, each determined to sup
ljataa+ hot of a0ti7a-
Proposed reforms and measures Judged, not on
their merits but by party considerations"
This is an admission that the troubles OF the islands
are due to the presence Of foreign traders who take
part in native politics to the creation Of disturbance
and disorder There is nowhere any serious allegation
against the natives their discipline and order.
Yet for disturbances that are begun and continued by
white foreigners in their rivalry for the profits OF COM
merce the natives punished by slaughter and the
ancient form and privileges OF their government are
taken away! Alter its statement Of the and OF
the cause of the recent disorders the reasonable peo
pie in the three nations in interest would expect
form Of government recommended that would
troll the small number OF white foreigners who
admitted to be the cause of all the trouble. Instead
OF this they are left uncurbed and the natives
treated with the greatest severity.
The form OF government proposed can hardly
stand When the executive and legislative powers
deposited in the same officers there simply repeated
a mistake in governmental science that first per
perated discovered and abandoned long ago. It will
70 more work in Samoa than it did in the Italian
publcs, for government is government whether its
objects be few thousand Samoans many million
Americans and unless its form square with the
worlds experience it cannot stand =.
The expense Of sending this commission to Samoa
could have been saved by the three powers for by
concert of their foreign officers better scheme could
have been devised The islands placated; the
nurderous sheing of villages filed with old women
and children because Captain Sturdee wanted some
fun" is not forgotten nor forgiven by the natives nor
are the followers of Mataaa reconciled to those OF
Malietoa Tanu
The United States seems to be unnecessarily in
volved in a costly and vexatious partnership with
Great Britain and Germany in the exploiting of that
Il: