The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-08
FESTINA LENTE. 4"

ia the settlement OF llS drink question: |
the Dispensary bill ties up that liberty |
of vote to one particular method. This
is an instance of that crude and un-
digested legislation which the Home |
Rule party keeps setting before our
eyes. No one will contend that the |
Dispensary act is wholly bad. No |
one will contend that the County act
is unnecessary. But clear thinking |
people find reasons aginst the Dispen- |
sary act wholly apart from the theore-
teal standpoint, but based upon prac
teal arguments and upon the necessity |
of having an expression of opinion
from the voters, and they also, while
supporting the County bill idea, had
reason to object to the undigested,
worthless from in which it was pre-
scented to the House. The bill as it was
presented was an insult to the intelli-
gence of the Home Rule party. Who
committed the insult The Star cannot
say, but it can make shrewd guess In
most places such a terrible break would
smash the political chances of the au-
thor forever.
The problem before the Legislature,
or really before the Home Rule party,
when the Legislature met, was by no
means an easy one. The question was
how to adjust changed conditions with
former conditions. The position of Ha-
wall was far different from that of
Alaska or Arizona when they became
territories of the United States. Those
were beginning from the bottom as it
were. There had been no ORGANIZED
government within their borders. The
trainers of their laws began with a
clean slate. How they may have
scratched and spoiled the surface of it
is no matter
In this territory matters are entirely
different For the better part of
century there has been a complete sys-
tenn of government. Plans for ad-
vanCement have been laid by men of
both integrity and ability, and much
good has been realized from these
plans. That many mistakes have been
made, that at times wrong has been
done is only to say that human beings
Aif'N DNNil Ncll y lllS pll WIN lltll llllllt
means. Has there no wrong ever been
done in California, in South Carolina,
in New York? Search the records of
their law courts, search their Legisla-
tive proceedings, search the columns of
their newspapers Have no mistakes
been made? The history of every civ
ilized community is a history of mis-
them, as they are recognized. 1t is
nonsense to say that the past is all
bad. What there was bad in it may
serve we'll as guide post. 1t Is nom
sense to claim that the laws Of the
states and territories are all goou
That they are not, that they are fire.
quently unsuitable is clearly shown by
their frequent change, Legislature
after Legislature aiming after an ideal
which has never yet been reached, and
which never will be reached till the
tabled millennium arrives when all
wrongs will be righted, when all races
will love one another and politics and
foreign complications shall be no more
In dealing, therefore, with the pres
ent Legislation Of Hawaii there should
have been the abest thought brought
to bear upon the subject There should
have been, and there still can be- care
and consideration and time taken over
the reconstruction of our laws and Of
our methods under our changed condi-
tions. We are tryins experiments The
first of our experiments should have
been with County and Municipal gov
eminent. Had the Home Rule party
done its duty as the dominant party,
it should have brought these measures
forward at the very outset of the ses-
sion, Upon them pivots the whole
legislative reconstruction. But the
Home Rule party failed most Iamenta-
bly, in this
1t is true that the County bill has
been presented, but it is so raw that
the committee to whom it was referred
has had to rewrite it from end to end,
and exactly two-thrds of the session
have passed away and not one step
towards proper considerat ton of this
vital matter has been made. The Mum
icipal bill is still in the womb of time,
it has not seen the light of day.
What good is there in experimenting
in other directions, before we have set
tied these two important changes, and
have practically seen how they will
work. Why rip up in all directions.
Arrange one thing at a time, 1t will
take long enough to adjust all fric-
tion and get the machinery working
smoothly. There will be lot Of creak-
ing and groanng before everything |
goes as it should do.
The Dispensary bill, with all due |
respect to its supporters, has no place
in the Legislature this session. Apart |
from the fact that it is unjust to the
voters not to give them a chance to
express themselves in the matter and it