The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-04-23
TO THE VICTOR.

ability or fitness for office that is re-
uuired, but simply office. 1t is naif /
statement which certainly commends it.
self by it's frankness, AS to the gov
eminent of the Territory or it's manage
ment that is a purely secondary con-
sideratfon in the Home Rulers mind, |
if it is a consideration at all. "Spoils'
is the watch word, the end and aim |
of the party. Even Tammany in New
York has some conjunction about Civ
ing publicity to such an aim, and talks
of good government, and reform and
Improvement. 1t has some little shame
left anu strives to cover it's naked body |
of greed, with some squalid rags of |
honesty and self respect. 1t has re-
manned for the Home Rule party to
come naked into the full light of day
and confess that "spoils" is what was
and is the handspring of the party. 1t
is primitive, it takes us back to
thoughts of the Garden of Eden. Prim-
tive nature, the power of being naked
and not ashamed is after all something
to be admired.
But taking these gentlemen on their
own ground are they the victors? Has
the Home Rule party swept the States?
Is the President Home Ruler? Is he
welded to the policy of anything to
beat the men who make money, pay
their debts and live cleanly? AS far as
one can judge it was not the Home
Rule party that carried the last cleo
ton, it was the Republican party. The
President of the United States is Re
publican. Naturally the President APP
points Republicans. If the Democratic
party had been triumphant at the last
election, it would have been a different
story as far as Republicans might be
concerned Federal offices would be
filled up by Democrats, and Democratic
influence as to local offices would be
paramount One fails to see however
where the Home Rule party would
have come in, even if it had chosen to
call itself upon reconsideration the In
dependent Home Rule Democratic
party, which it most surely would have
done if the Democrats had been in
the ascendency. The fact is that the
Home Rule party, with the keen and
hungry desire for office, occupies the
unpleasant position of being neither
fish, flesh, fowl, nor good red herring,
though it is ready to call itself any one
of these, if "spoils' can be obtained.
Guriously the political world does not
want fowl. when it calls for red her
ring, and it detects the flavor at once,
if the one tries to masquerade as the
other.
A Republican Governor of a Terri
tory is politically bound to appoint Re-
publicans to office A Democratic
Governor of a Territory is politically
bound to appoint Democrats to office.
If local cabal springs up, neither
is bound to recognize it. The Governor
of a Territory represents the political
views of the President who appoints
him, and he must by earnest endeavor
and reward keep the true members
of his party together. He must see
that no man or set of men are appoint
ed to office who do not belong to his
party.
The Governor of a State is in a totally
different position. He is elected, and
upon the vote that elected him he acts.
If he was elected upon the straight
Republican or the straight Democra-
tic ticket, he will distribute his patron
age accordingly If a fusion ticket
elected him, patronage would be divi-
ded. Again a third party. a freak
party, might elect him, and the patron
age would go to the freaks.
But in a Territory there is no room
for freak parties. 1t must either be
straight Republican, straight Demo-
crat, or Fusion. The only result of a
freak party is dead lock, and the Gov
ernor of Territory can stand the dead
lock a great deal better than the freak
party. This is the position of the Home
Rulers today. To down the whites and
give all the offices to Hawaiians is no
policy of the Republican party. The
Governor as representing the Republi-
can party in the Territory cannot con-
slider any such policy. What if the ma
Jority of the Senate turn down all the
Governors nominations, he can, when
he chooses, make other nominations
but they certainly will not be nomina-
lions dictated by the Home Rulers.
If the Home Rulers want recognition
they must get it through the Republ-
can Central Committee. If they truly
join the Republican party, they must
accept the platform of that party, and
work in harmony with that party. To
turn a flip flap, as was done the other
day and call themselves alphabetical
Republicans, does not by any means
make them so. The spoils are far off.