The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-10-12
THE wilcox PARTY THREAT.

THE WILCOX PARTY THREAT.
The Independent party pledge which
presumably. all the native nominees 70
the Legislature have taken, contains
q this clause:
We do hereby pledge ourselves not I
confirm any of the appointments OF Gov
error Dole's In Section so OF the Territor
ial Act.
The officials named In Section so al
subject TO Gubernatorial appointment
are the attorney general, treasurer
commissioner of public lands. commits
sioner of agriculture and forestry. SUI
perintendent of public works. superin
tendent of public instruction. auditor
deputy auditor, surveyor, high sheriff
members of the board of health, com
missioners of public instruction. board
of prison inspectors, board of regIstra
ton and inspectors of elections and any
other boards of a public character thai
may be created by law.
The meaning of the Independent
threat is that the Wilcox people de-
mand all these Offices for themselves
and hope, by refusing to confirm the
present incumbents, to oblige Governor
Dole, unless he Ia willing to suspend
the functions of Government. to name
men OF Wilcox's own choice.
1t Is said that whom the gods would
destroy they first make mad-though
now and then they also give the vic
tins q show as leaders of the Hawaii
an Independents. 1t Is the very mad
ness Of the moon to suppose that the
coercion scheme could succeed or that
the natives would be better off X sue
cess were sure. The organic law
projects the Government from stop
page; and II that protection were pos
sible to overcome. there would be a
summary interference by Congress In
behalf Of the Territory to ordain future
Island rule by the responsible classes.
That Wilcox Senate could not hold
up the Territorial Government II 1t
tried to is proved by the organic act. A
part of Section so reads as follows:
'All persons holding Office in the Ha-
waiian Islands at the time this act
takes effect shall continue to hold their
respective offices until their successors
are appointed and qualified, but not be-
yond the end of the first session Of the
Senate Of the Territory of Hawaii un-
less reappointed as herein provided"
section gives the Governor the
right of appointment when the Senate
is not in session. Thus II no successors
are appointed and qualified the Ha-
waiian Executive may, after the ad-
journment of the Legislature, reappoint
the old incumbents.
Surprising the Legislature should
withhold appropriations for salaries the
game would still be in the Governors
hands. Witness Sec. "a Of the Organic
law which reads as follows: THAT
in case of failure of the Legisla-
ture to pass appropriation bills pro-
viding for payments of the necessary
current expenses of carrying on the
government and meeting it's legal OBJ
legations as the same are provided for
by the then existing laws. the governor
shall, upon the adjournment of the
Legislature, call 1t into extra session
for the consideration of appropriation
bills, and until the Legislature shall
have acted the treasurer may, with the
advice of the governor make such pay
ments, for which purpose the sums ap-
propriated in the last appropriation
bills shall be deemed to have been re-
And all legislative and
other appropriations made prior to the
date when this act shall take effect
shall be available to the government of
the Territory of Hawaii"
What would happen If the Senate
refused to confirm the Dole appoint
ments? Why the Governor would sim
ply tell the officials to stay where they
were and after the Senate had ad-
journed he would cause their salaries
to be paid as usual until the Legisla-
ture had met again. If, anticipating
such a course the Legislature should |
refuse to make~salary appropriations |
equal to the necessity of carrying on
the government" the Hawaiian execu-
tive would probably go ahead as be-
fore, paying salaries on basis of sums
previously appropriated. The law as it
stands does not empower the Legisla-
ure to coerce the Executive by locking
up the resources of administration
either by the refusal of appropriations
,r by making salaries so small that
officials cannot be found to work for
hem The Government must so on and
people who get in its way and try to
stop It will receive more harm than
hey confer
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