The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-05-08
OUR AIM.

''No municipality can safely be trust
ed the exclusive management of profess
aional politicians" said the Chicago
Inter Ocean some weeks ago. That pa
per went on to say that it was mot
inclined to undervalue, far less to deny,
the use of party spirit and of party
pride as incentives to wise administra-
ton Of public affairs" This is a wise
and conservative statement.
1t then continued: THE advantages
of government by party are manifold,
even in municipal matters. But behind
party, conscience should stand, and
conscience should be the deliberate con-
viction Of a well informed public spirit.
Party zeal unmatched and unchecked
by public criticism, may degenerate into
a mere scramble for spoils; and, even
in its highest manifestation party ac-
ton is unable to grapple with and to
administer upon many phases of pub
lie need"
These words are worth weighing,
coming as they do from great hotbed
of partisan politics. In its further ar
gument on the same subject the Inter-
Ocean shows that mere party organiza
ton has to be supplemented by associ-
stions for the protection of the poor,
the prosecution of the vcnal and the
reclamation of the Vicious" and 1t
might have added a dozen or twenty
more.
IL sounds well to find one of the lead
ing papers in the West, and in point OF
fact, one of the leading papers in the
United States, enunciating the doctrine
that behind party, conscience should
stand" and that conscience should be
the deliberate conviction of well In
formed public spirit"
A few nights ago the opponents Of
the machine in Honolulu taught us yer!
different doctrine from this. The!
would have party first, and conscience
gone grazing in pastures where it coult
never be found. The doctrine inculcat
ed was party, right or wrong an
offices only for those who accept tina
doctrine OF course, such doctrine,
the Inter-Ocean says, can only "degen
crate into mere scramble for spoils
Is this the kind Of picture we desire t
present to the great republic into who's
fold we are now tottering in as yer
timid little lamb?
Let us consider ourselves. We ar
infinitely smaller in numbers than tn
city of Chicago, as we are very niue
smaller than the city Of San francisco
our nearest neighbor. We are startin
out upon a new experiment in our po
Iitical career, and some of us are al
ready cheap-Johnning our politica
wares. Is this wise proceeding on on
part? One trows not. We have no bust
ness to be pulling our tiny vote thi
way and that. 1t had much better g
solid on one issue, and that issue tn
advancement Of the Territory.
What we need is an amalgamation o
the independent thought. The time
by no means ripe for political strife, an
the dangers Of It to our budding terri
tory are self-evident. That there ar
plenty Of men who desire factiona
strife, and hope to make their adVan
tage out of it one way or another,
perfectly true, but surely no indepen
dent thinking man is going to advocat
that such men should be supported.
We can see before us the difficulty o
forming party on the lines laid dow
by the factionists. No sooner is com
mencement made than there is disa
greement among them. But nothing
being gained by the split, except Il
blood and i'll feeling upon the matter
The better course just now, and tn
course tnat IS Wisest for US TO pursue
is to get on the plane Of "a well in
formed public spirit" and do what W
can to prevent party zeal from "degen
Grating into a mere scramble for spoils.
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