The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-04-03
AN LNrnHrANr ISSUE

Tine Drefer candidacy is likely To- find
.Its death Goo the courts. The protest
(which Mr. Harris, the Republican can-
|UUJte ulod with the Acting Governor
and Secretary yesterday has put the
matter u such shape that it can at
Ionoc come before the Supreme Court
(which win probably render decision
/ shortly after the arguments have been
made.
The Organic Act says:
section 40. That i'm order to be
| eHgible to be "a member of the house
| OF representatives a person SHALL at the
| time of election
Have attained the age Of twenty
| five years;
BE a male citizen of the United
/ states;
Have resided in the Hawaiian ISL
/ ands not less than three years;
And shall be qualified to vote for
| representatives in the district from
/ which he is elected
The main issue, and the only issue in
! Mr.. Dreier's case is the last paragraph,
! He is over twenty-five years of age, he
is a male citizen of the United states,
or has been made so since last election,
he has resided in the Islands not less
than three years, but is he qualified
to vote for representatives in the dis
rict from which he is elected.
This brings us to the qualifications
of voters for representatives which are
treated Of in section go of the Organic
Act The section saws:
Section so. That in order to be
qualified to vote for representatives a
First. BE a male citizen of the
United States.
Second. Have resided in the Terri
tory not less than one year preceding
land in the representative district in
which he offers to register not less than
three months Immediately preceding
the time at which he offers to regis
ter.
Third. Have attained the age of
tWenty-One years,
Fourth. Prior to each regular cleo
ton, during the time prescribed by law
for registration, have caused his name
to be entered on the register of voters
for representatives. for his district.
Fifth Be able to speak, read, and
write the English or Hawaiian langu-
age"
The Republican party and their can
didate Mr.. Harris claim that Mr.. Dreiel
does not and cannot fulfill the requis-
ties laid down for a voter for repre-
sentatives He was not made an Am
erican citizen till November 16, 1900
which was after the election was held
therefore Mr. Dreier could not have
registered in his district and as a fact
the official list shows that he did not
However the matter is now before
the court or will be during the day
and it may be fearlessly left to the
calm Judgment of the members. 1t is
well to know what the issue is because
the Home Rulers have been striving
to show that the Republicans have re-
sorted to political trick. There is
nothing of the kind in it. 1t is a plain
question of right and wrong. Congress
gave us an Organic Act In that act
it laid down certain rules for the cleo
ton of representatives. 1t is not only
the business of a party, but it is
the business of every reputable citizen
irrespective of party to see that these
rules are carried out. If they are over
ridden once they will be Overridden
many times. We have to stand by the
law, and we shall win by the law, UNI
less the law should unfortunately be
administered by either corrupt or poll
teal judges. The present issue is a
most important one.