The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-05-01

Continued from Page q

| ture OF this community, agreements of a
| character that would repudiate and
trample upon the progressive spirit of
| our times The combination of these cir
| cumstances, we submit, will readily ac-
count tor the absence of substantial re-
suit in the work of the earlier part of
| the session.
| The imputation that our iabors have
not been for the good of this country
| our native land-we deny it. When in
| its wisdom, the Congress of the United
| States, with your approval, granted to
| our country and people the protection of
| the constitution and took Hawaii into
the Union, some of US were at first I'M
] willing TO accept it, for our fatherland
was dear to US. AS the full meaning of
| the change dawned on US, and we saw
| the contamination of that justice and
! equality for which We had striyen
| through seven years of travail for that
| fatherland, was to be finally given us
| through the suffrage prescribed by the
| Organic Act, We relented, became Amer
| leans, and turned our eyes to the fulfill
ment of the promises held out in the
| Constitution OF the United States and to
| the application of the customs of our
country.
In the first Territorial campaign the
| three parties represented declared in
| their platforms for the full measure of
Americanism, local Observation-Disclosures
and county governments--and the mod
| ernization of our governmental methods,
| as under present conditions the people of
this Territory do not elect a single Off
cial, not even a constable or a school
trustee 1t was the prospect of such a
future that prompted the Hawaiians to
make an active canvass for Home Rule.
Despite the task involved in framing a
measure to give our Territory local gov
ernments, this work was done The
County bill was introduced in the House.
finally passed the Senate, and now awaits
the signature of the Governor
One of the most engrossing tasks of the
many set for the members of this Leg
islature by the changes into which we
are moving forward is that of taxation,
which has received earnest consideration.
In the older States and Territories this
subject of taxation has claimed the best
thoughts of the brightest men living
| there. We are compelled to face the
elimination from our revenues of the Gus
toms and postal receipts, thus creating
the necessity for increasing our tax re-
turns by more than a million dollars. The
question was an important one and our
committees have worked increasingly to
formulate legislation which would yield
a just distribution of taxes over all our
in6 1stries so that the weight should not
be felt unduly by any one of them. That
no measure satisfactory to all those en-
gagged in framing such laws was drawn
can be attributed only to the fact that
varied interests necessitated much study
Of local conditions and a satisfactory ba-
sis for the division of the burden has
not yet been reached by the Legislature.
We feel that in this community the
questions of taxation are deemed so i'm
portdnt that special commission
should be provided by the Legislature to
lfs+,r ~
lied Territory, where taxes must be
doubled, sixty days is not long enough to
give to the study of plans for the read
justing Of any adequate system of taxa
ton
Much time was spent In the considera-
ton OF temperance legislation, which,
failing, had caused deep regret to the
best elements of our people.
The Governor imputes to US lack of eff
fort to lay broad foundations for the fu-
| ture. glance at the measures which
have taken more than their initial steps
in either House, and to which we have
called his attention will show how much
work really has been done.
Win we be called less than human III
that we spent our first hours of official
life in trying to break down The class
distinctions in which an oligarchy had
!ntrenched itself-an oligarchy which ig
hored the conditions contemplated by the
| Organic Act. We have no aim but to
reach the same freedom enjoyed by every
man who looks to our starry flag as a
token of his liberty.
The conditions confronting the Terri
tory by reason OF the reckless policy of
filling up the country with a low, ire
sponsible, uneducated and impecunious
class Of assisted immigrants, who are de-
signed to be and are imported for tho
purpose of serving as comraon laborers
at low wage for agricultural corpora
TONS and who are practically deprived or
their liberty and subject to severe dis
cipline until they reach the plantations
which is still running its mad course,
merits the serious attention OF yourself
and Congress in whom alone the powers
TO regulate such matters are vested.
So much remains to be done that we
appeal to you, Mr.. President, as the
chief executive of our common country.
for relief which is denied US here by the
one who asperses our characters and i'm
pugns our motives. We refer to the
chief executive of our Territory. We
maintain he has shown and is showing
mat he is not in harmony with American
IDEAS, first of local self-rule, second or
fair play. The history of every new
territory tells of struggles to reach a
lair basis for the future and such a re-
tSSSl d. ours IOr more time iOi ASSNNN
action is just and should have been
granted. 1t Is desired by some to per-
petuate that Capitalization of power IN
government which existed In these Isl
anus prior to their annexation by the
United States. We object to this. We
want government of the people and by
| the people.
We pray therefore that you will first
| direct that we be given such time as Is
allowed by the Organic Act for the pur-
poses Of general legislation. We know
| tnat it is a matter outside of your real
sphere; yet a suggestion from you Will
De sufficient to accomplish the end; sec
ond, If this is not feasible. that you re-
move from his high office Sanford Bal
lard Dole, Governor of the Territory OF
hawaii, oD<the grounds that his actions
since takiu& that high trust from you
nave been such as to lose for him the
| confidence OF the majority of the people
| OF the Territory; that he has not tneiF
best interests at heart; that he has SUD-
! Verted the principles of American govern
! tnent to the service of a class instead OF