The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-07-11
BOB WILCOX AS
A PARTY BOSS
A PACKED CONVENTION CALLED
WITHOUT NOTICE, SAY
REFORMERS.
QUEER WAY OF C HOOsING THE
DELEGATES.
Control OF Nominations For The Leg.
islature the Real Point of the Party
Controversy.

How was the Home Rule convention
called? Whs choose the members and
how was it done? On what basis was
it calculated that Oahu had 124 dele
gates and the rest of the Territory 1872
How did the committee on credentials
tind out who were entitled to seats2
And what will the "other islands" say
when they learn that the convention
was called, met and finished all it's la
bors before they knew anything about
it? These are some questions being
asked among politicians since the
Home Rulers got together and apart
al the Orpheum theater.
The questions stated are all involvs6
in the real controversy over the new
constitution. which caused all the
trouble. At the bottom of the matter,
according to some of the element that
walked out of the convention yester-
cay is the fact that if the new system
were adopted and a representative con-
yention called by fair primaries, the
Wilcox element would not be able to
lame the legislative ticket
Tonight there is to be a caucus in
Fosters hall, the party headquarters.
1t will be an effort to patch up differ
ences before the campaign begins. and
it is said that both sides are anxious
to see peace restored, but the reform
new constitution.
Inquiry this morning develops the
fact that the Home Rulers held 'pri-
maries" in some precincts a week or
two ago. Some of the oahu districts.
are said to have sent to the convention
one delegate for every six votes they
cast for delegate last time. Others
went on the basis of % votes to one
delegate. \ Wilcox committee on cre-
dentials passed them all along, with
the lonely Is from the other islands,
making Oahu have 124 against the Is.
1t is this method of filling tie cOnven-
ton, it is said, that enabled the dele
gates crowd to make their showing Of
strength
IF there had been primaries as we
wanted" SAID John Emmeluth this
morning. I'VE should have got COM
plete control of the party That is the
real secret Of the opposition to the new
constitution. 1t would make it impos-
sible to call a packed convention.
The next result would be that the
progressive element would win out iG
the district conventions. They would
name the candidates for the House and
Senate, instead of the element which
rallied around Wilcox this time. Had
| they not forseen and feared this result
| the Wilcox people would never have
| bothered themselves to oppose Ouf et-
| forts to organize the party locally"
The proposed new Home Rule con-
stitutiOn is much the same as the rules
recently adopted to govern the Repub-
| lican party. 1t makes the precinct club
the unit of organization, and provides
| for the choice of the party managers
by primaries The following is the
most important new article proposed:
article 8. At the election in July,
| 1902, and biennially thereafter, each
| precinct shall elect one delegate at
! large, and one additional delegate FOR
| every twenty-five votes cast by the
! precinct for the Home Rule candidates
/ in the last previous regular election.
THE delegates so elected shall meet
! in district convention in their respec-
/ tive election districts at the call or the
district committee within sixty days
after the territorial convention for the
purpose of ratfying the platform for
! the next succeeding campaign the
nomination of candidates for the Ter
ritorial Legislature and such other busl-
ness as may properly come before
! them.
"They shall hold office during good
| behavior for two years
''They shall meet at other times
when so requested by the district COM
mittee."
Already there have been kicks from
! representatives of the outside districts,
who claim that their localities were
not given the hearing to which they
were entitled. There are undoubtedly
some districts in the Islands which
have not yet even received the news
that the convention was called for this
week. 1t is predicted that there will
be some very hot complaints when the
news reaches members of the parry in
these districts.
Just how many of the reform element
will attend the proposed caucus to-
Light is not yet known. The reformerS
appear to be still firm, while WILCOX
stin aspires to be a boss and run the
thing, as he has done, though at great
cost. Unless he comedies something
to the other element, the reformers
say, will undoubtedly find himself the
boss of a much reduced party.
DDTNTCTJC FISH ASHORE