The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-07-13
DEMOCRATS CLAIM THEY ARE
PARTISAN.
Think the Democratic Party Should be
Represented on the Boards of Regis
tration-What They Say.

tration. The objection is not to the in
| dividuals appointed, personally, but to
the fact that they are all Republicans.
! There is not a Democrat on any of the
! Island boards, so far as the politics of
| the individuals composing them can be
! found out, except II. G. Searle of the
| Maui board and it is said there cannot
! be more than one or two who have
not publicly declared themselves
Republicans. With these exceptions the
entire personnel of the board is Repub-
! lican.
The gentlemen on the Oahu board
! have this to say of their politics. =
! Lorrin Andrews Il am a Republic
an"
d. L. Naone: "I am a Republican"
NJ. A. Gonsalves: Il am Repub-
! lican."
Charles j. Mccarthy chairman of the
! Democratic Territorial Central Commit
tee. sees no redress which the party
can obtain, beyond unofficial methods.
! He expressed much mitigation over
what he termed the unfairness display
! ed in the appointments, and said IT
| certainly think that the Democrats
| should be given representatives upon
| the boards and 1 regard the appoint
ments as a very high-handed proceed
| ing. In the past practically all po-
| litical parties have had representa-
! tives on the boards, and 1 know of no
| reason why they should not have been
| granted them in the present instance.
Indeed, in view of the persent chaotic
! condition of affairs as the result of the
| new style of government, there is far
! more necessity for having all parties
represented and the boards kept unpar-
! tisan, than in the past. 1t seems to me
| that l, as chairman of the party, should
! have been consulted in the matter of
! the appointments, but L have seen no
one in the matter The first intimation
! that l had of the appointments was
what l saw in the Star. The only
redress which the party has, so far as
/ can see, is to appoint special sub-cOm-
i mttees to see that all members of our
, party are registered"
THE boards of registration have
! large powers. They determine in the
first instance, the eligibility of electors
and their right to vote. They deter
mine whether a man can write and
speak the English or Hawaiian Ian
guage.' Where partisan spirit runs
| high, this is a very great power to
| lodge in the hands of a set of men.
And partisan spirit is bound to run
J high here just as does in every other
free country. The decisions of these
| boards are practically final in the great
majority of cases. A board of regis
tratiOn carried away by partisan spir-
it, or determined to win an election,
could not be better placed for doing
it than having no representative of any
but their own party on the board. But
having boards of registration with such
| powers composed wholly of men of
| one party, creates suspicion of unfair
ness, whether there is unfairness or not.
This tends to heighten partianship and
to introduce discOrdant elements into
campaigns. The constant tendency in
the states is to give all parties repre-
sentation of boards of registration
DpociHapt ip1a hac cba
ample of -partianship in appoint
ing two Democrats to the territorial
bench"
Some other we'll known Democrats
thus expressed themselves on the sub
ject.
j. S. Martin: IF the Republicans
mean to establish the precedent that
the ms hog everything, they can not
expect any more consideration at our
hands If the Democrats should carry
the day at the polls. l do not think
the Democrats have any special KICK
for one policy is about as advantageous
as the other; we are able to hold our
own. If the Republicans wish to work
on the lines they have demarked, well
and good"
Captain c. ]. Campbell 1T looks to
me like case of rub 1T in on the part
of those now in power. l do not like
it, but what are we to do? Nothing
Republicans have led off on something
that may become a boomerang"
John X Wilder: "All over the Unit
ed States it is the custom to have both
parties represented on the registration
? boards, l never saw or heard of it any
other way. 1t is the custom to give the
: party in power a majority That is
understood and is fair. 1t remained for
queer little Hawaii, where there is so
much of the unusual in official matters
to strike off on a new tack"
Frank Brown: 81 know little of
. mainland customs in the matter. At
: the same time 1 was greatly surprised
\ that a solid Republican board was APP
: pointed for this island. My ideas are
= that the Democrats will 'bide a wee,
1, and watch their corks. If there is any
! attempt at monkey business, then Will
! be the time to act"
II feel that the administration has
treated the Democratic party very un-
fairly" said Charles Dement,. The
appointment of a solid Republican
board for Oahu was great surprise to
' me-"
: John ]. Egan thus expressed himself:
"I don't like it a bit. We are entitled
to representation and Mr. Dole should
be made to know 1t. l am in favor OF
a mass meeting and full and forcefu
expression on the subject"
Il had not heard of the appointments
Republican a mistake has been made
that should be regretted by both par
ties" said Eugene Sullivan
"Nery unusual, I must say" was the
comment of Fred. II, Ilayselden Of La
mai.
1T is another effort of the admins
tration TO grab everything i'm sight
said Charles David of Waialua They
have kept it up so long that they cam
. | stop. The election i'm November may
= put the boot on the other foot"
/, Major j. NJ. Camara who served two
- terms on the Board declared that th'
appointment of only Republicans wa'
a piece of great injustice. while
d do not anticipate" .he said, that Their
will be any attempt to practice frau'
still il would look much better an(
show that those making the appoint
ments had been sctuated by spirit o
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