The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-06-18
CAN'T KNOW THE
LAWS OF HAWAII
japanese Complain Over The
Abandonment Of an Old
System

The Hawaii shlnpo says; Even un-
der the rotten reign OF the King
dom. and the subsequent 'oligarchicai
ruIe' OF the dsfunct Republic. we used
20 enjoy the privilege OF being r-gr-
larry informed OF every legal notice
and new laws Tat least those which
affected usD through the Authority col
uuun OF the vernacular papers But the
last banderios, Legislature. among
many OF its foolish acts OF legislation.
enacted n law limiting such pubiics-
lions 60 be made only through papers
tongues. thus robbing the majority OF
the eountry's population OF their right
to Dc furnished with information Thus.
a poor Iaborer IL caught breaking a
new regulation. with which he hes had
no means Of becoming acquainted. and
when honestly pleading that he never
heard Of the regulation. he Ia told that
Ignorance Of law IL no iega, excuse
and punished accordingly.
Ia IL not TO be supposed that the
Legislature created this rule with the
object OF setting n trap for the mass
OF honest popalaee and 10 fstten the
national treasury with the nl-sotten
penalty money extorted from It's tnno-
cent victims. II. however. u should BE-
assumed that this was done to refund
some OF the public money sauandered
away under the pretense OF legislation.
or TO econor1Ize on the Territorial ex-
p~ns~s by cutting down a part OF the
advrrtlsSng fee. then this attempt mas
net with utter failure
wyobody would require any proof 10
~ that Ignorance Of the national laws
BY the mass Of its people would cause
no end Of trouble and work TO the ex-
ecutive and Judiciary and magnify the
public expenses. far exceeding the re-
cespt Of those ni-gotten penalties III
the essence Of the law is To protect the
right OF the majority of the people. II
the fundamental principle Of govern
rnent IL % be n guardian OF the popu-
lace IN n law In created with the OBJ
ject of maintaining order In the COM
munity and not to disturb the peace OF
a. " the government IL morally. II not
le-arfy. bound 10 listen TO the voice OF
n majority OF the Inhabitants. Who. al
though they are not citizens OF the
cbuntry. are contributing To the main
tenance OF u by paying taxes. and
lastly. IL the government owes 10 as It's
duty TO the foreign governments oy
virtue of its treaties to protect It's alien
popurace from an unnecessary and IN
reasonable prosecution while the latter
remain under It's suzerainty. let the
next legislature repeal this obnoxious
rule and give the people chance To
know the law before they innocenuS
breakft Meantime. while the law does
not make 10 obligatory To make sucn
publications Tn any other languages but
English and native. yet. as 10 does not
forbid doing SO. the departmental heads
Of the government should use their dis
crefion In the matter and publish At
least those legal notices affecting the
Japanese and Chinese Inhabitants IN
their respective vernacuiar papers As
TO fts expenses. they can always ind
an Item under which they could charge
IL without giving n chance for an ac-
cuxation of misapproprtation To even an
f~uoranf LEGISLATOR"