The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-01-14
PUBLIC AND CHARTER,

The Bulletin is unhappy because the
Honolulu taxpayers will not foot the
bills of the Republican committee
which has been organized to make
them a charter which they do not want.
It was in a similar mood, some months
ago, that the Bulletin rebuked indie
pendent Republicans because they did
not rush to the financial aid of its tot
ltering machine According to our con-
Temporary, the duty of the responsible
classes of Honolulu and Hawaii is to
submit to whatever public abuse the
active politicians may try to set UP
and also pay the preliminary expenses.
If they do not see their duty in that
| light, so much the worse for them.
The way is open then to f1out their
public. spirit" and sheer at them as
| best people and tell the thinning
group of malcontentS what Silurians
| these property owners are.
| The charter committee has itself to
thank if it creates deficit in it's own
treasury, for it went to work without
consulting the party or the taxpayers;
and the element in it which stands for
cinch government did not and does not
care what the people think. OF the
men in the committee who deserve con-
fidence, we recognize some whose mo-
tives the Bulletin properly describes
when it says: THE question the peo-
pie have to decide is whether they pre-
fer that the Legislature start out with
a chaotic charter idea or have present
ed to it measure that has been thor
oughly studied and presents facts, fig
ures and suggestions in proper, con-
else and compact FORM AS this con-
tains the core of the reasoning which
the sincere municipal workers on the
committee have adopted, and the pre-
tence of which the Bulletin assumes, we
wish to discuss it on its merits: :
In the first place the Republican
party is under no obligations to help
the native party out in it's legislative
work The Home Rulers control the
Legislature and they are very eager to
get Republicans and Democrats. to
share with them a charter responsible
ity, which, when borne alone, might
work the political downfall of the So
called Home Rule" movement both
here and at Washington. But having
had Republican and Democratic aid in
getting up a charter which at it's best
will prove damage if not a curse, the
Home Rule men will lay every i'm
perfection in it to the haole. When
the poor native householder finds his
taxes trebled the Home Rule leaders
will say: 1.-The haole deceived US with
his new-fangled notions" and that will
serve to increase the resentment be-
tween the native and the white. If
there should happen to be anything
good in the charter the Home Rule"
men will claim the credit of that for
themselves.
The wisest policy, in securing the I'LL
innate rescue of Hawaii from bad gov
eminent is for the Republican and
Democratic parties to have nothing to
a county plan of government at a time
when they can effect nothing of them
but to stand aside and let the
taxpayers and the members of Con-
gress see just what the old Royalist
means. 1t may be urged
that this course would expose the tax
payers to the unrestrained rapacity of
the ex-Royalist faction; but If this is
so it is better to endure the affiiction
of hundred per cent cinch for one
or two years than fifty per cent cinch
Certain it is, If the Legis-
idtiNc uldJOTltS Is peTiIlllteu W uO us
worst, a successful appeal may be made
to Congress for permanent relief; but
If the Republicans and Democrats go
into the Legislature Jointly with the
Home Rulers and agree upon a modi
fed cinch, relief may never be obtain
ed until Hawaii fills up with people
who will be able to control the expen-
diture Of the taxes they pay.
The committee sees for itself, in the
nom success of it's canvass for funds,
what the attitude is of the people who
are most affected, in their vested in
terests, by municipal threats. This at
titude is averse to anything being done
towards saddling Honolulu and Oahu
with a municipal and county incubus |
Why then should the Republican job
Of charter-making go on? Why not |
drop it? Why not let those who, in the
final analysis, have the making of the |
charter, take all the responsibility for
is successive steps? If pit is to be
lug for the taxpayers keep Republican |
and Democratic spades out of it.
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