The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-04-01
HOME RULE CRAFTSMANSHIP.


the history of representative legislative
bodies. They have not only shown
themselves to be ignorant Of their leg
islative duties and Incapable Of per
forming them, but their ignorance and
incompetence are self-confessed They
not only show that they are conscious
of their own deficiencies, but seem quite
willing that every one should know that
they are conscious of them.
Having elected majority of both
houses and having more than two 70
one in the lower branch, their course
was plain. All they had to do was TO
decide on their party measures, have
them put in proper shape for leglsla-
tive action and then put them through
Now, what have they actually done!
For weeks before the Legislature met
they were in almost perpetual session
Day and night for week after week
thew went on caucusing. discussing. de-
Gliding and at last, before the day ap-
rointed for the meeting of the Legisla-
ture. il was announced publicly and
triunphantly that the mighty work
was virtually accomplished. Every i'm
portant question was settled. only
few minor details remained to be de-
fterrnined. and nothing remained but to
quietly sit on the minority and pass
whatever they had agreed upon by
sheer force of numbers.
There is no occasion to more than re-
mind our readers in a general way OF
the actual result thus far. The waste
of time the wrangling over petty mat
tiers, the exhibitions of personal feel
iings the ignorance of their own rules,
to say nothing of general legal and par
liamentary forms and methods. and the
futile efforts of the few more sensible
members Of the party to make their as
sociates quit their foolishness and get
down to business. are all matters OF re
cent and familiar history.
The most important measures. those
upon which the Home Rulers had based
their platform and appealed TO the vot-
ers, measures that had been declared to
be fully matured; failed to appear. Not
only days but weeks passed before some
of these measures were introduced. and
now when more than half the session
has elapsed. some of the most impor-
tant bills have not yet seen the light
If there was any one thing to which
the legislative majority stood especially
pledged it was local government;
county and municipal 1t was repre-
sented that on this point there was
practical unanimity in the ranks of all
parties For this good men agonized
and good women prayed; for it children
cried and refused to be comforted: at
the bare mention of it the blanketty
blank missionaries were seized with
cold chills. cramps, paralysis and
murnps Seriously. because of the alb
sence of legislation on this subject no
important measure could be completed.
The tax law, the audit system, the
school system, the Board of Health, in
short every branch of the public SER
vice to say nothing of the general ap-
preparation bill, would of necessity de-
pend upon the radical reorganization
of the public machinery involved in the
proposed scheme of local selfgovern-
ment And yet. notwithstanding all
these vital reasons for promptness,
about half the session was gone before
this most important and pivotal meas
ure was introduced.
The bill took the usual course and
was ordered printed. and now that it
is in shape to be read and judged of,
what do we find? On examination,
this benign measure, the consummate
flower of Home Rule craftsmanship, Is
found to be one of the most extraordin-
airy conglomeratiens of rubbish ever
put before a Legislature purporting to
transact it's business in the English
language. "
And now comes the funny part.
When any Home Ruler is asked about
the bill, or has his attention called to
any of IT'S glaring absurdities, he as
sumes an expression of.the' most child
like innocence. declaring that he has
never read the bin and does not know
what is in 1t. So far as we can learn.
the first Home Ruler is>yet to be found
who is willing to confess anything but
ignorance on this most important and
vital matter. Thus far the bill is with
out acknowledged father or mother.
Poor Makekau, on whose doorstep it
appears TO have been left, and who
kindly took it in and conveyed 1t to the
asylum for legislative foundiings. prob
ably known as little about II as the
others.
When the honorable members first
began their denials we naturally
thought they were engaged In the game |
described as playing off"
But after exam mining the bill with some |
care and putting the internal and ex-
ternal evidence together. we are salts
fed that the Home Ruler is telling the !
truth: he is giving us straight goods
The members, or at any rate most of |
Them, had not read the bill, and large
of their number would have |
been incapable of understanding it If /
they had. For those who do not I'M
1erstand English it viii have to be (
but how such mess as the .
bill Is in English can be translated into +.
decent, intelligent Hawaiian, or any
other language, is difficult to be seen
Putting together all that is known on
the subject. and assuming that the
Home Rule members tell the truth,
which seems no more than reasonable
IN view of the fact that they give away
4 state of things discreditabIe to them
selves. the genesis of the County Gov
eminent Act becomes quite plain
After struggling for some weeks with
the question Of how they were to set
about redeeming the pledgs given be-
lore election; how they were to reduce