The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-05-12
NOT SURPRISING.

Speaking of the organization of the !
Democratic party of Honolulu, a con-
temporary says, I'm the ranks of it's
projectors it is surprising to find some
citizens who were good anneXationists.'
There is nothing surprising in this at
all. The fight for annexation was not
fought up party basis, it was not
annexation to the Republican party or
annexation to the Democratic party
that was struggled for, but it was an
nexation to the United States of Am
erica. To gain this great end, men of
all classes of thought, Republicans and
Democrats, gold men and silver men,
united. The thing to get, was annexa-
ton, and party politics played no figure
whatever. Events and circumstances
made one united annexation party.
The Star has always held and still
holds, that it was inadvisable to break
off onto party lines at once, as has
been done. 1t would have been better
to have kept solid territorial party.
There are men who are strong Demo-
Gratis, like William Wilder, whom
large number of Republicans would
like to see in the local senate, because
he is known to have weight in legisla-
tive matters, and his course is conseT-
vative and appeals to the conservative
element in the community. There are
men who are strong Republicans, like
George Carter, whose voice many DEM
ocrats would like to hear in the Terri
torial Legislature, and party lines are
not at present strong enough for men
of this class to he rejected by the vot-
ers because of their party affiliations.
That the party lines will later be
strictly drawn is undoubted, but the
Territory will have to be educated to
its conditions. At present very large
number of voters are completely in the
dark as to the principles of either of the
great parties; have, in fact, never given
them a thought. To reach the voter
the two parties here will have to deal
on local issues, on the school system
on the road system on public improve
ments of all kinds, on municipal organ
ization on county organization and
many other things. The broad princi-
pies of the two great parties on the
mainland will cut no figure in our cleo
ton, our issues will be territorial
Our electors must understand that
our former legislative system was UNI
like the present system. There can be
no administrative appropriation bill.
The governor will, in a message, pre-
sent estimates, but they are sugges-
tions and nothing more. They do not
enter the legislature as a bill There
will be a ways and means committee,
a committee on appropriation and sub
divisions of this kind. The initiative
of expenditures will come from the re-
representatives. of the people direct. The
policy of retrenchment or the policy OF
lavish expenditure rests with the legis-
1ature, and there will be some elected
member who will earn a local reputa-
ton, as Representative Cannon has
earned national one of being the
watch dog of the treasury"
The idea of ministers is now thing
OF the past. The gentlemen who fill the
positions of Secretary of the Territory,
Treasurer, Commissioner of Public
Lands, Commissioner of Agriculture
and Forestry, Superintendent of Public
Works, and so forth, are merely execu-
tive officers, they are not ministers and
have no initiative powers whatever
They have no place on the floor of
either house, and as far as the legisa-
ture is concerned they are unknown
IL the Senate or the House of Repre-
sentatives wants any information, II
does not apply to the Secretary, or the
Treasurer, as we used to apply to the
Minister of Interior or of Finance, but
each will apply to the Governor, who
will duly reply in a message.
The sooner our people realize the
change which has come, the better and
more intelligently will they be able to
vote when the election takes place.