The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-07-03
WOULD HAVE REFERENDUM
CORRESPONDENT BELIEVES IN
NOX POPULI.
Thinks Important Questions Should
be Submitted to Voters Independent
of Party Politics.

EDITOR STAR:-In shaping poll
Cies for the coming election and ses-
sion of the Legislature l wish to call
attention to a matter that seems to
me of great Importance, and at the
same time that can be easily handled
in this Territory. During the past
seven years the charge has frequently
been made that the few were making
laws for the many and that the latter
had no voice in public affairs general
ly. That is perhaps true. l wish to go
a bit farther, however, and submit
that a large number of measures
adopted by the local administration
We're not favored by many of it's most
ardent supporters; many of the same
measures may have been more pop
ular with the Governments oppo-
nents. AS a matter of fact in the pas.
seven years the ideas of the people
have not been ascertained on a single
measure unless it was the thumb
mark" bill, which aroused such a
storm of disapproval that it was killed
by its own fathers.
An income tax bill was passed. 1t
was sprung by the Legislature and no
one has ever known whether it was
supported by 100 or 10000 people This
is a pretty wide margin on a matter
of such great Importance. Perhaps
ninety-nine out of every hundred vOt
ers favored this bill In that case it
should have stood The Supreme
Court declared it was unconstitution-
al With such a support by the people
the constitution should have been
amended.
As a matter of fact the people have
not had and do not now have a proper
voice in public affairs. Governor Dole
is changing the saloon limits of Homo
lulu. Who knows that the people wish
this done? Possibly they favor it;
possibly they are almost united in the
opinion that there should be no
change; possibly they wish the sal
oons' moved to Kalihi or closed alto
gether. Numerous other transactions
are being made and are in contemplat-
ion that interest the people greatly and
yet they have no voice in them.
Party platforms do not serve the
purpose, for in the heat of a campaign
many men vote their party ticket and
lose sight of the. planls put forth in
the platform. They wake up later with
an itching to kick themselves. 1 be.
lieve, moreover, that important ques-
tons should be submitted directly to
the people Independent of party. 1t is
a kind of crime to hang the milestone
of party politics around the neck of
many important measures. I believe
in a pure, unadulterated referendum
in advance of final legislation. In many
States this is successfully carried out.
Take the income tax law as an in
stance. At the bottom of each ticket,
Republican, Democratic and Independ-
ent, should be printed this question::
Are you in favor of an income taxi"
The result would show the voice of the
people unhampered by party politics,
and no matter what the composition of
the Legislature might be it's action
would be in accord with this vote be-
yond any question. Numerous other
matters should be submitted in the
same way. 1 hope to see the time in
this country when every great question
will be balloted upon by the people;
the referendum is the foundation stone
of the original American idea and in
no way can rule by the people be more
perfectly secured. X.