Evening star., 1901-05-17

ures without accomplishing anything what
ever of Importance during the sixty days
allowed. Their chief measures over which
they had expended their main efforts the
municipality bills, they drove through at
the last moment, when they found that the
governor would not extend the session. But
the bills were in such bad shape that the
proverbial coach-andfour could have been
driven through every part of them. The
senate did not even go over them at the
third reading. OF course, the governor
pigeon-holed them by the ten days limita-
ton. as he did several other bills.
This curious fncapacity to accomplish
business was ludicrously exhibited day
after day. There was endless garrulfty
native after native jumping up and ha-
ranguing violently and interminably about
the merest trifes. There was constant
squabbling about little nothings-and then
when a real obstacle was encountered over
the bill would pass by acclamation, only
t. be returned another day from the other
house as defective. Senate and house were
alike in the violence and inconsequence of
their debating. varied by the double num-
bers Of the thirty representatives, and the
vigorous opposition of the republican SEN
ators, six out of fifteen. who pertinaciously
fought for proper and regular procedure.
1t was almost an everyday occurrence for
senate or house to adjourn as the only
escape from noisy and senseless wrangle.
strange. that Kipling's description of his
"Banderiog'' assembly should have been
applied to our Hawaiian legislature of
1901.
Use of the Hawaiian Tongue.
A serious departure in the conduct Of
the legislature from the manifest intention
of Congress. whether sufficient or not to In
validate the proceedings, was the constant
and prevailing use of the Hawaiian tongue
by the native members All their speeches
had to be interpreted into English and all
fhn En0l N rod
into Hawaiian. This process consumed
much time. although the Interpretation of
speeches into English was usually brief
native speech being extremely verbose and
"aIl the proceedings of the legislature shall
be in the English language" This provi-
sion was complied with so far as related
to all written documents. 1t would be an
effective obstacle to the election of igno-
rant natives to the legislature If all in
terpreting was disailowed, thereby compel
ling thorough mastery of English by each
member. Such was perhaps the intention
of Congress. A Hawaiian of their aver
age weakness Of intellect Is incapable of
mastering the use Of English, although he
may acquire some celloquial smattering.
The pet measures of the home rulers
werethose establishing county and city gov
ernments. By creating these they expected
to take the larger part Of the public busi-
ness Of the territory out OF the hands OF
the governor and his associates and ap-
pointees, and to place 1t in the hands Of
ofHcials elected by the native rabble. The
government was thus to be "decentralized."
theoretically a good thing. provided an in
telligent constituency should elect the local
officials, who should levy and expend the
local taxes II. however, the larger part
of public business should thereby be
thrown, into the hands Of incapable and
yenal oficials chosen by a dissolute rab
Bile. we shall be best on in the hands Of q
capable central government At any rate
we shall now continue q while longer as
we were The home rulers spent more
than a month before the session IN private
caucus arranging for these and other bills.