The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-04-16
THE TERRITORIAL BILL.

Ire house OF representatives mas at
NleRgth passed the Hawaiian Territorial
b,u and somewhat strange tumble
h.v hoo, - . It.. Those who knew
nothing about Hawaii, and 0"''''
cared less, have had a good swing a,
the prospective legislation. Before we
begin to cry out, however, we must re-
member that the bill will have to go to
a conference committee, and that the
drafted bill may be materially changed
in that committee,
The clause that would deport some
25.OOO Japanese Who have come in here
since August II, 1885, is not going to
he a very workable one, and will UNI
doubtedly call for a protest from the
Japanese government. This amendment
TO the bill is certainly impracticable,
and reminds one somewhat Of the Span
ish decree which banished Jews from
Spain. 1t was the worst thing that
Spain ever did. To deport the mass OF
our laborers means simply to ruin our
industry. That contract labor should
cease we have been prepared for, but
that the men already here should be
deported, we were not prepared for, and
we may expect that the matter win be
fought over strongly in the conference
committee and the Japanese treaty
with the United States will be frequent
ly cited.
The prohibition clause in the bill does
not meet with the favor of even our
local prohibitionists. DIR. Bishop points
out that prohibition to be effective must
come from within, and not from with
out 1t is a matter for local legislation,
and not to be made a matter of funda-
mental law. If public opinion is over
whelmingly in favor of prohibition it
can be carried out; if not, it cannot be,
and only becomes a source of corrup-
ton. Such a view from so stanch a
temperance man as DR.. Bishop, is of the
utmost value, and shows that he has
no sympathy with crank" legislation.
He is ready to agitate for prohibition,
is a believer in it, but it must come
from the local voters.
The local liquor men, on the other
hand, feel that their vested rights are
attacked, and not only are those of the
local men, but those of the producers
in the United States and the winegrow
ers of California are seriously endan-
gered. Protests have been telegraphed
from the Coast, and a large interest is
already at work upon preparations for
meeting the amendment in the confer
ence committee. The local men point
out that the high license here has work
ed WE'LL that the liquor traffic is in
good hands, and is carried on in man
ner which might with advantage be
copied on the Mainland.
The provision to limit land holdings
of corporations to 1000 acres is another
foolish amendment. 1t does seem as If
all the cranks in the House had let
themselves loose upon the BILL and had
had free hand at this peculiar form
of legislation. In some measure this
may be accounted for by the original
bill prepared by the Congressional Com
mittee. The original bill departed from
the regular territorial law in many par
ticuars This aroused the attention of
people with fads. They began to see d
chance of having those fads put into
practice and experimental with. If the
committee chose to propose departures
from the ordinary territorial law, why
should not they? To such men it makes
no difference whether they know any
thing about the place they are legislat-
ing for or not. What they are after are
certain hobbies AS a fact, the amend
ment proposers knew next to nothing.
or absolutely nothing, of our social, po-
litical or commercial conditions. This
danger was pointed out in The Star long
ago. In striving after getting all we
wanted we were in danger of losing
some things, and getting other things
we did not want. And so it has turned
out.
Our sheet anchor at the present time
is the conference committee, and the
conference committee will not act until
the large interests of Hawaii are heard
from