The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-06-18
CONFESSION OR INDICTMENT.

Just as well be wasted in full session
as in committee. This was a confess
sion of the tactics the Home Rulers
were employing or it was an indict-
ment of them The Star gives the
member from the fifth credit for the
latter. He does honestly want to get
the session over and the appropriation
bill passed, but he has not influence
enough with his party to do so, and
then he, himself goes chasing after
butterflies as it were. Some gay Mari
posa chases through the recesses of his
mind, and forthwith the rhetorical hunt
is taken up and followed till the
parh-co lored insect-escapes as the
Governor did when he went to Hawaii.
The tactics of some of the Home
Rulers are very plain. However much
Representative Emmeuth and his two
followers, may desire a close to this
session, however much the Republican
representatives and senators may de-
sire and work for the same end they
cannot break down the solid phalanx
of Indifference and determination to
do nothing, And this legislative meth
Cd is insp..ed by nothing higher than
the desire of getting another 5000 in
the way of salary and what emolu-
ments and perquisites can be obtained
from the judicious distribution of the
Legislative expense account.
The amount of harm which has been
done to the Territory by its first legis-
lature may be reckoned in hundreds
of thousands of dollars. The Home
Rule members may say there can no
harm come to u.s." we have filled our
purses better than the average and we
come out ahead" But what INJURIES
the community Injuries the individual.
The Home Rulers full purse will soon
De empty and he will then find no
means of replenishing it, As long as
everything went prosperously every
one in a greater or less degree shared
in the general prosperity. When
check in the general prosperity comes
it is the small incomed man who feels
it first.
That the Territory, will regain what
it has lost, those who know it's mag
leading men have no doubt Of 1t is
not the remote future which bothers
those who depend upon the prosperity
of the country. 1t is that the present
which should have been so prosperous
has suffered a severe check.
This biennial period should have been
devoted to great activity in public
IID1
away with the loan bill, this activity
could have been begun. Now, it is
barely possible that some of the most
needed of public improvements will be
carried out. And what makes the
position doubly annoying is that money
could have been obtained upon such
easy terms. Everything was in our
favor, and our Legislature has deliber-
ately thrown away our opportunity.
There are two ruling principles in. the
Home Rule party. Desire of present
petty gain, and desire of getting
even" with the men who brought about
annexation. At one time the latter
Keeling was in the ascendent, latterly
the former is playing the principal
role. The desire of getting even"
was shown by attacks on the Cover |
nor and Secretary and a general on
slaught upon the executive. In this |
an immense amount of legislative time
was wasted But that feeling, except |
in few breasts, gave way to the de-
sire of present gain. 1t was 5000 for
an extension of session and 5000 for
an extra session for the appropriation
bill which caused the death of the loan
bill. This lucrative plan for the legis-
lative pocket failed through the Gov
ernors refusal to grant an extension
The extra session to consider the APP
preparations was called, and the whole
talent of the 'grafters" has been en-
ployed in trying to make the session
of no avail so that the Acting Cover
nor's hand may be forced, and another
extra session may be called to providey
ways and means
But there is no likelihood of the Act
ing Governor giving way. The tactics
used are only likely to embarrass the
Territory still further. If the legis-
lature has acted as it has done up to
the present, there is no assurance that
it will not go on in the same fashion
as long as there is dollar in sight in
the treasury. We have already spent
on this legislature which after ninety
days session has done nothing, over
$4,000, a greater sum than has been
spent on any Legislature previously.
There is no need for further waste of
public money 1t is better for us to
call the whole affair bad bargain and
wash our hands of it, than to throw
good money after bad. The Territory
will survive the next eighteen months,
and viii see to it that a proper legis-
lature is elected next time.
NOT PROVEN