The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-03-11
LOCAL PARTY LINES.

From time to time letters reach this
office, and verbal communications as
well. arguing against party lines In
ocal affairs, and proposing a union OF
al good men for good government. The
plans, as outlined, contain an ideal
theoretical program of civic effort, but
that they could bring about the erasure
# PARTY organization and party effort,
seems to us an idle dream.
1t Is quite true that parties have
United public utility In Territory.
Here in Hawaii no one can vote for
Presidential electors, nor for Governor,
and so far as delegate In Congress
rr member of the Legislature Is
concerned ii is of more consequence
that the incumbent should be honest,
public spirited and serViCeable than
that he should be either republican
or a Democrat. Furthermore, as things
are in Hawaii, the Republican and
Democratic parties in an election mere
ly defeat each other and elect Home
Rulers. Had the two parties been
united In the Congressional fight Will
cox could have been beaten. His was
only a plurality success; he did not
command a majority of votes. That
union Of effort would have shelved THIS
man was clearly fOreseen; but both
Republicans ana Democrats preferred
their party organization to the election
of a good citizen TO represent Hawai-
N the House
why was this so? The answer eX-
plains why Democrats hold their party
stations so tenaciOusly in Vermont ana
Republicans in Mississippi The party,
be 1t understood, has two functions in
the line of Office seeking. 1t elects If 1t
Il, IL 20 f,r "a n
in Federal appointments. Thus, the
Democrat of Vermont or the Republi-
can of Mississippi, when a President of
his politics takes control at Washing
ton, expects, as reward for holding
the party together under untoward cir
cumstanCes, some Federal bounty-a
postotHce, n collectorship, a consular
or diplomatic station. The organiza-
ton or machine is needed To certify to
his standing and capacity and his right
TO ask for office.
Thus every hopeful oflice-seeker de-
mands party lines and would rather
have them kept intact than TO insure
wise conduct of public affairs. The
mschine is needed to get those who
run II into office when the time comes
The hurry over forming the Repubi-
can party here was mainly due TO the
desire of Mr.. Sewall to be National
committeeman, and OF others to be
Judges etc, and the Democrats want
ed to be ready to deal with Bryan in
case of his election. But for the posi-
bility of a change In party power at
Washington, the Hawaiian Democracy
would probably have gone to pieces al
ter its first count of votes. There was
hardly enough of ii in the returns To
make "A fair exhibit in the scattering
column. Yet today we find the local
Democracy up and doing. II wants to
run "A man for the Legislature-for. in
fact, the ghost of n legislative seat,
knowing fun well that its candidate
will come out a bad third. Is this a
foolish waste of time from the stand
point of the office seeker? Not at all;
for the man who leads the forlorn
hope now Will be entitled to good
! Federal job in case Roosevelt shall be
( succeeded by Democrat, and the men
| who help him most will be his chief
employees.
| So our theoretical friends may see
/ that the parties are here to stay. How
! ever desirable IL may be to get wire
| less government, the parties Will insist
| upon putting up their own men. We
/ shall have partisanship in local affairs
as long as party government lasts in
the United States, and the only means
we know of to get more than tempo
rary relief from its malpractice is for
good men to get in and run the ma
chine.