The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-06-25
1T MisIfT BE WORSE.

was at all warranted. and certainly his
remedy, a commission appointed by
the president is impossible at least I'M
til Congress repeats the territorial act.
DIR. Russell thinks the government is
almost to the "demnition bowwows,".
because he says the Legislature and the
executive are at outs and distrust
each other. Then he gives as a rea-
son why the Legislature is at outs with
and distrusts the executive. the refus-
al of the governor to extend the reg
ular session or. to call a special session
except to consider appropriations. In
addition he has as a special grievance
against the executive the loan bill
While DR.. Russell is quite clear in his
objection to a loan bill. he is not nearly
so clear in the process or logic of the
reasoning by which he seeks to shift
the responsibility for the present stu
alton on to the executive. If there is
anything clear in the present situation.
it is that the legislature and Dr. Rus
sells party is alone responsible for the
Inconvenience. embarrassments and
damage to the interests and prosperity
of the territory which may arise from
or follow the present situation. DIR.
Russels party in the Legislature failed
to make or even to seriously consider
either revenue or appropriations at the
regular session. except the income tax
act which was introduced from the
other side of the political division.
Neither DR.. Russell nor any one else
can say with any regard for the fact
that the Home Rulers were prevented
from passing all the measures of this
kind they might think necessary, either
by the hostility of the executive or by
the Republican minority in the legsla-
ture. DR.. Russels party had it in it's
power to pass all the revenue acts it
deemed necessary to present the ne,
of loan bill if a loan bill is such a
wicked thing as he seems to think it
is. Clearly the Legislature and not the
executive is responsible for this stu
alton.
1t is true that it is within the realms
of conjecture and possibility that if the
Legislature We're called in special ses-
sion again it might spend it's time in
useful legislation. But if evidence goes
for anytime it is not within the realms
of probability. The presumption Great
ed by the legislature at it's regular ses-
sion that it would not do anything of
the kind has been strengthened by its
course during the special session. SO
that the executive has been fully justi-
fled after all, aside from the ques-
ular session.
But after all. aside from the ques-
ton of where the responsibility lies, is
there anything to justify such pessim-
ism as DR.. Russell expresses? Hawaii
is not the first place nor this the first
time there has been lack of harmony
and unity in the different branches of
government This is not the first time
a government having the responsibility
of the public works of a whole COM
munity has faced an insufficient treas
ury. There have been dead-locks be-
tween the executive and legislative in
many states and particularly in many
cities before this, and many city ad-
ADMINISTRATION has had to carry on it's
work with a whole tax levy declared
invalid by the courts. and uncollectable.
So it is with Hawaii, Inconvenience
will follow the incompetence of the
legislature. Embarrassment will be a
result. There will be loss to the COM
munity as a whole. There will be loss
to individuals. But the territory will
survive and win work out it's own sal
walton, and the beauty of it will be
that in the working out process, it will
become clearer and clearer who is to
blame for the situation, and the posi-
bility and danger of a repetition of it
will be lessened. The people will learn
by experience and will take measures
10 prevent a repetition of this situa-
tion.
The trouble with DIR. Russell is that he
is one of those reformers who believes
chaos and humiliation must follow the
failure to adopt his schemes of reform.
The wonder is that since his schemes
of reform have been thwarted by the
men of his own party he should so
illogically hold some one else respon-
sible for the result. But this only
shows how curiously the human mind
works and how a man may be a sin
cere reformer and an honest man and
yet be illogical
Perhaps after DR.. RusseIs visit to
Olaa with its waving cane fields and
its cooling breezes, the good doctor will
take more hopeful view Of the stu
alton.