The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-02-22
sgLF-eovERNmeNT ON TRIAL.

However Il seems certain that the
mistake will be rectifed early Sstur-
day morning and Mr. Cooper requested
TO take his desk and go to his own
Office As pointed out by The Re
publican Thursday morning. the &C
ton Of Secretary Cooper is the most
high-handed proceeding ever attempt
cd in an American legislative body.
The United States Constitution and
every State constitution and the Or
ganic Act for each and every Terri
tory ever organized expressly recog-
nlzes three branches of the govern
ment: the executive, the legislative
and the judicial The duties OF each
are carefully defined and it is especial
Iy provided that no one OF these
branches OF the government shall en-
croach upon the duties of the other
Secretary Cooper represents the ex-
ecutive branch Of the Territorial gov
eminent In the absence of the Gov,
ernor ne becomes the acting Governor
and as Secretary he is an interlopei
upon the floor of the House. To per.
NIT him TO remain there would be the
greatest blow at popular self-goyern
ment ever enacted in these Islands or
anywhere else where the American
flag floats.
1t has been well said that popular
government is on trial in Hawaii.
Secretary Cooper evidently desires to
show that the Hawaiians do not know
what selfgoyernment means and that
they can be overawe1 by the execu
tive branch of the government when
ever the latter desires to overawe
them To permit him to remain upon
the floor of the House in compliance
with what is a virtual demand as
right would be the destruction Of self
government in Hawaii. The members
owe 1T to themselves, they owe it to
the Territory and they owe it to the
coming generations to remove this
man from the floor and thereby de
monstrate to the world that the Ha-
waiians are capable of self-govern-
ment and know how to maintain it,
In defending Secretary Cooper's
actions the Republican members of
the legislature are making the great
est blunder of the age. They are
placing themselves in a position to be
made the laughing stock of the people
of the States. They are demonstrate
ing that they have no conception of
Republican government ana know not
the meaning of the terms "Democra-
cy" or "Republicy."
f. A. c. NJ. Robertson simply~ made
himself and his party ridiculous by
his remarks in the assembly. Mr..
not only exposed his igno-
rance of American institutions but
showed himself totally lacking in
knowledge of English history and con-
law. If Mr.. Robertson had
ever read Macauley or any other Eng
fish history or any of the great works
on constitutional law he would know
that the attempt to bring in troops to
oyerawe parliament resulted very seri-
ously for the executive in England
In the reign of Charles the First
troops surrounded W estminster Hall
on December 9th, l64S, and took
charge of parliament preventing the
entrance of 143 members. The result
was that these members appointed a
OF IS men TO frame char
ges against the King and appointed
High Court of Justice composed of 135
men to hear the charges resulting in
the beheading of Charles | and the
of the protectorate.
Later James the Second undertook the
sama thing which resulted in the call
ing of William of Orange to the throne
Of England and the establishing of
government upon a
firm basis. The Independents could
ask for nothing better than an attempt
20 carry out the revolutionary pro-
advocated by Mr. Robertson.
Such action would result in the imme- |
date removal of Secretary Cooper,
Governor Dole and every man con-
nected with the executive branch Of !
he government who IN any way coun- |
or recognized such work
Mr.. Robertson shows the effect of |
seven years Of centralized conditions
md the depraved state of the public
mind on the subject of constitutional |
Mr.. Robertson has
been member OF the so-cailed iegis.
AZURE OF Hawaii and he has grown so
accustomed to seeing members of the
branch OF the government
N the floor directing the work of
egislasion that he cannot recognize
low that under American constitu-
ionai methoas such action is Illegal
Mr.. Dickey of Maui showed the
anne effect of seven years OF rule by
orce in his speech in which he refer
ed to this '.Nlngdom." the gentleman
seeming to be unable TO remember
he fact that when he took the oath
4 Office as member OF the assembly.
be swore 10 support and