The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-02-15
THE RAINY
CAPITAL.
News of HiIo and the
Big Isle.
TR|BUNE'S NEW LIGHT
A Paper That Once Wanted County
and City Government Sees
the Danger


late strong proponent of municipal and
county government, now confesscs to a
reasonable doubt that men can sathe'
grapes of thorns or figs of thisiles 1t
holds that with the present cloclo ate
and Legislature the experiment Of sub
dividing the Territorial Government IS
open to grave doubts Its article Is as
follows:
We are looking forward with son sid
cradle interest to the first session of the
Territorial Legislature now close at
hand, and to the results in the way CT
law-making, repeating, and Amending
which will be wrought by our victorious
friends. the Independent members elect
of this Legislature
The cornerstone of all the party plat
forms in the last campaign was without
doubt local government" In fact, any
party that had ventured to construct
platform without this piece of building
material would have found that 1t hau
erected gallows instead, destined
like that of Haman for its own private
and personal use, Nor was this without
good reason, for there can be no doubt
that basis of American national and po-
litical life, town and county government
and its primary organization, the town
meeting" that Hawaii can never APP
proximate to a State or even to the con-
dition of a real Territory under the CEN
tralized system which has proved so i'm
practicable here in the past, and gives
even less promise for the future.
on the other hand, the question natur-
ally arises whether our population and
other attendant conditions are such that
we have in us as body polite the raw
material of real statehood or even true
Territory; and so, whether we can intro
duce the machinery of local government
which has always been the very essence
of political life among the Germanic
races.
The grounds for the arising of this
doubt were made the more apparent at
the last election, in the conclusive evil
dence at the polls of the existence of
majority whose knowledge of political
principles in general and of the particu-
lar issues at stake, was so much on the
minus side of zero that to call it ignor-
ance would be rank fiattery; nor was the
doubt rendered the less by the attitude
of these same ballot-casting infants to-
ward the only ones who We're qualified
to guide them.
The caliber of the men elected is for
the EnOSl part oI u par WIN NHat VI Tic
electors. Many of them are now in Ho-
noiulu working projects fearful and
wonderful in their scope. AS to the
principles of local government In its real
working they shave as clear an idea as
a well-preserved wooden Indian who fills
the humber though more useful role of
tobacconists sign in front of cigar
store. They do, indeed, as nearly as we
can learn, seem to be sincere in their
purpose and are willing to learn from
the few Caucasians whom the native Ha-
waians condescended to elect to a like
position. But as one of these wrote a
friend in Hilo they are like the veriest
school children: the whole framework of
the principles involved is as strange to
them as the doctrines of Theosophy.
Even the simplest propositions must be
explained again and again, while their
knowledge of the English tongue is so
limited that explanation often but in
creases their confusion. A state of af-
fairs. by the way, which causes us to
wonder how closely that law of the Or
ganic Act will be followed which re-
quires all Legislative proceedings to be
in English
With these facts in view we can but
doubt the practcability and wisdom of
proceeding with new and radical legisla-
tion on this most important question OF
local government, which improperly for
blessing when following its legitimate
course. The present system is bad
enough, but it is better to live under It
for two years more than to inaugurate
a new one that is worse and which ii
will take years to eradicate. We have
great hope that the next election will
show much better results in the capacity
of the legislators elected to take up this
most necessary task of localizing ,he
government. For by that time We be-
1ieVe that the proportion of citizens who
really know what they are voting for
will he greatly increased, and also will
be the number OF native Hawaiians who
will be willing to vote for the best men
without regard to color, or the desire
TO work off old grudges.
LOADING FACILITIES POOR.
The Herald says: 1t is unfortunate for
the owners of vessels entering the port
of Hilo that the facilities for loading su-
gar are bad. Dependent upon the Will
ders Steamship Company for the SER
vice, the captains must accept with stoi-
cism whatever treatment they may re-
ceive at the hands of the monopoly The
Amy Turner for instance, has been IN
the harbor for six weeks and much of
the delay is caused by the inability of
the steamship company to put the su-
gar aboard, The company claims that
laborers are not to be had and this Is
qulle true Dut the statement should be
qualified; men cannot be had at a dollar
and half day when they can get two
dollars for the identical work performed
Tor other employers. Captain Warland
or the Amy Turner believes he has a
grievance. md 1t lies within the power
OF the agents of vessels running to Hilo
10 get rid OF IL. The Wilder's company
does not happen to own all the steamers
anoat and II one was purchased by the
vessel owners and put In commission here
IL could not only carry cargoes to the
sugar vessels during the season but II
could do very nice trade In CARRYING
goods to the other side Of the Islsn5
The experience OF Captain wariand aar-
Ing the past few days is the enterine
wedge that say open up a scheme of
this sort that could be carried through
10 success
THE HEAVY BLOW.
The Herald says: The storm from The
be 10