The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-07-23
WEIGHED. FOUND WANTING.

10 call an extra session az which gen.
cral legislation could be considered. thu
expected has happened. Untl this time
the Executive has remained silent. al
'luy inp the tempest Of words with which
the advocates OF such extra session
Thnve voiced their arguments 90 rag,
without the word which would still IT,
/ II IL In a clcar-cut statement that this
word Is spoken. Acting Governor
! Cooper takes the record OF the Lcgigla-
ture and upon IT, holds that he cannot
see how any good thing can come out
OF such a body of men as has mIsused
public office during the past four
months.
/ 1t is then on the record that the ma
iority party must be Judged when the
work OF the two sessions is considered.
| The record IL so fragrant that IL Is still
| in the nostrils of the people. 1t Is not
only n record of things done but more
| largely of things not done Coming to-
gether under auspices which should
I have called forth the best efforts of any
body Of men, with the eyes not only Of
the men of this Territory but of the
entire country upon them, the members
OF tn, majority party in both Houses
elected to sit down and spend their
days in idle talk instead of work. From
such men there came little which was
Of value. There was an income tax
measure passed. but it was the bill of
Republican. There were bills passed
and signed providing for changes in tn"
courts and for a new judge, but there
were also some of the most preposter-
Gus measures put through, while rec
ord of those propositions which were
introduced would read like the journal
Of a school-boy's parliament rather
than of a body formed of men chosen
by the free voters Of a Territory of the
United States. True there were many
meritOrious measures before the LeGis-
lature The Loan bill and the measure
carrying the items under 1t were mod
els Of their kind. but it was just such
measures which were allowed to die
while bills which were aimed to put into
practice the dreams Of populist theo-
rists were being debated
From men whose sober moments were
given to discussions such as have mark
ed the hot days of the summer there
is to be expected nothing more sensible
in the future. The past four months
Of legislative experience has cost the
enfeebled Treasury just $4,000 What
excuse could be given by an Executive
who would call together for another
sixty days of general work these men,
If his appointing superior should ask
for one? What would Mr.. Cooper say
to Mr. Mckinley il he was called upon
to explain a call for an extra session?
There would be a degree of magma
ton in the man who could look for
good things from this aggregation
which would mark him for a modern
novelist or n showman's bill-writer. 1t
IS with the cold eye of reason that the
Legislature is viewed by the Executive,
md IN consequence the decision to have
no more of the horse-play Of the spring
and summer was not unexpected.
Nothing could be put more forcibly
than the answer to the arrangement
talked of by some Republicans that
there be a stipulation that the pro-
posed extra session discuss nothing but
loan bills and promise to let the gem
eral legislation alone. This would be
qualification OF the powers of the CO.
ordinate branches of the Government.
The Organic Act does not limit the
matters which may be taken up by
special session and for the Governor to
attempt ii would be to expose himself
to the ridcule of all men when the leg
islators ignored the stipulation and
went in for the County bills the cumu
ative voting propositions, the single .
lax and the initiative and referendum
plans which have kept the brains of
the haOle leaders of the Home Rulers
over time for the past months, .
There can be made no bargain with in
That the men OF the In
dependent party have shown themselves .
Incapable of close hard thinking, as is
'equired by those who would make the
avs OF transition period, seems to be
proven. The question comes, then, as
% the discipline which the two years
II leanness OF the Treasury will serve
o enforce. There will be inconve-
niences, but they will fall as much
upon the men who voted to be repre-
'ented here by the inCompetents who
nave sat in the throne-room of their
Ills and Knocked the efforts which
aised this country TO it's splendid CON
lition by their puerle votes of lack Of
and resolutions asking for
as they will on the heads of
he thouGhtful people who now say
nat II is better to bear the Ills we have
han TO fly to others we know not or
Acting Governor Cooper viii find that
e has the backing of the business com
nuuity in his stand that any other
altering OF this Legislature would be
calamity. Let them go back to their
constituents and give an account OF
heir actions, And II they viii look
pom themselves as the majority OF the
eoplc I'm the city look upon them, per
APPS some Of them VIII have the grace
D resign their places. Not many, sure ,
2. but perhaps there are some who Will D.
aalze how far short they have faNru
I the measure of citizenship placed .
pom them hy the American Conpr
md the people of their country amid
hey may Doe moved CO. cease tD enDum
yr % seat in which they wahhlr about
opo'us7IE They WW NOT naNu uuoInu.
haua. ru sII mI.r Ihn lr.ua M rNr
Na.urNu grounds aul pose H rnn Hn
.aN.rH of un Territory 49, .9Hl u.f D
WWn.rs ur I1u First Legislature
.nl 10 .s hurI n..I.N. uuf mE .n
uu.u.y win ...r send n..k Home
wHw M rMH motley 0r.# Nn.n N q
3. sword. IH N...rHH. "" stamp