Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-05-16
SENATOR FRANCIS WARREN
DISCUSSES HAWAIIAN SUFFRAGE

In a special article written for the |
Denver Republican, Senator Francis e.
Warren gives his views on Hawaiian |
suffrage as follows:
Having lived for many years under
a Territorial form of government and
been thereby denied the right to vote
for President or presidential electors
until past As years of age, naturally
take some interest in legislation for
new territories, and especially in ques-
tons of citizenship and suffrage.
The bill providing government for
Hawaii as introduced in the Senate,
made manhood suffrage fixed insti-
tuition in the new Territory. This was
a new departure from the practice that
has always been observed In the for
nation of territorial governments by
the Congress of the United States.
In order that we might in establish
ing territorial form of government
for Hawaii, conform to these practices,
introduced an amendment which
would enable the people of the Terri
tory themselves to say whether or not
manhood suffrage should be a perma-
nent institution. This amendment,
which was adopted by the Senate, is as
follows:
"That the Legislature of the Terri
tory of Hawaii may, at any time after
January /. 1908, submit to the lawfully
qualified voters of such Territory such
changes and notifications in the uuali-
fications for electors as they shall Gao
fit and the same being adopted by n
majority vote, taken I'm the mode pre-
scribed by the Legislature, shall be
valid and binding as law"
Territorial government, IL | under
stand its genius and purpose, is of a
provisional, probationary, but withal,
progressive sort, intended to lead up
to full Statehood the locality to which
it is applied, the organic act creating
and admitting a Territory being its
charter, its constitution.
Constitution Not Restric tive.
Liberality has usually marked these
acts, and the later the act, the more
| liberal its terms. This is as 1t should
be. and accords with the enlightenment
of the times. Our national organic act,
the Constitution, If you please, is not
restrictive as to suffrage, and its
amendments have not been so. Indeed,
it's fourteenth and fifteenth amend
ments are generous and munificent in
proclaiming liberty and freedom
throughout the land. The States Of
this Union, with rare exception, are
also more and more liberal with each
change of constitution and later sta
tute. Nor is increasing tolerance, free
dom of thought and action, and liberty
in suffrage matters, confined to this
| tru or IN
this hemisphere; but the trend OF
events everywhere Is in this direction
The higher the civilization the greater
the progress, as evidenced by our An
gloSaXon mother country, England
in extending certain suffrage privileges
to her women.
In the Hawaiian bill, as first intro.
duced, we would appear to be moving
backward Liberty for and confidence
in, our new people seem sadly lacking
The measures proposed by this bill re
garding the qualifications for suffrage
seemed to be a departure from the Gus
toms and traditions of our government
in the admission of Territories t
Statehood. All of the Territories tina
have been admitted to Statehood 70,
so years, while prescribing who shall
vote at the first election, have not pre-
sumed to deny the right of the peopl
within such Territory to prescribe tn
qualifications for voters at all subsc
quent elections. Even Texas, admitte,
So years ago, and with populatio,
containing a large percentage of for
eign blood, was thus liberal.
The organic act Of Wyoming, admit
ted as a Territory in 1869, provides a
follows:
'That every male citizen Of tn
United States above the age of
years and including persons who shal
. have declared their intention to be
come citizens of the United State:
who shall have been a resident of tn
said Territory at the time of the pass
age of this act, shall be entitled to vot
at the first and all subsequent election
in the Territory, and shall be eligibl
to hold any Office in said Territory; tn
legislative assembly shall not at an
time abridge the right of suffrage, or
hold Office on account of race, color {
previous condition of servitude of an
resident of the Territory"
Under this act every male citizen, {
one who had declared his intention
become such, over Il years of age, we
permitted to vote at the first election
was guaranteed that he could so vo
at subsequent elections; and that Il
terms were not restricted Is best show
u in the fact that the first Legislature
Wyoming extended the suffrage to Il
women of the Territory and they ha'
voted at each and every election sine
municipal, state and national.
No Suffrage Privilege.
n Woman suffrage was incorporated
" the constitution of the State, ratifi,
- by the people of the State, and made
W. national statute by Congress in inco
- porating in the law of admission Il
constitution of the State. The organ
! acts of other Territories were equal
\ liberal, so that, leaving for a nome