Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-12-08
PRESERVING THE COUNTY
LAW.

County Law discussion Of Monday
evening was thorough. and even tenn
pered; the meeting was we'll attended
and the people given as clear an idea
as possible of differing opinions and
the cause Of the difference.
The question now before the com.
munty is, What are we going to do
about it?
From all that has been offered there
appear to be three courses of action
open: Congressional sanction Of the
law, revision by a special session Of
the Legislature, complete extinction
by an adverse decision by the Supreme
Court.
The Territory at large will undoubt.
eddy oppose the last method. In the
difference of opinion over the choice
from the other two. however, the PEG.
pie should not forget that there Is an
element In the Territory small but
earnest which would be Overjoycd in
seeing such a miX.up over the County
Law that II would be put away on the
shelf Of failures. What this element
is likely to hope for and quietly assist
Is that County Law supporters shall
get into such a wrangle over County
Law preservation that the proposition
will fall into the lap Of failure and Ha.
wall will find itself a year or two
years, perhaps more, removed from
the goal OF local selt-government
Whether this political play is contem.
hA NtFil Ln
same unless supporters OF the local
government principle agree The
County Law will be disCrcdited. It
viii be the source Of trouble which It's
Old enemies so anXiOusly GEEK.
The community Is ready 20 admit
that the County Law as II now stands
is weak They fear to go ahead with
It because Of the probability that the
Sampsonian Supreme Court will tum.
BILE the structure down upon their
heads. District Attorney BreCkOns,
however advances the idea that the
local court decision Is not necessarily
final, view quite usual in the conduct
of cases before the courts. This offers
an opening for keeping the contest in
the courts until such time as the Legis.
lature can have an opportunity to
patch up alleged weak points.
Assuming. however, that the com
munity sentiment is right, the discus
sion of Monday night suggests that
some friends Of the County Law are
condemning the Hatch mission before
they know what 1t Is possible for him
20 do, II anything. They maintain
that this Congressional quest is re.
Election on Hawaiis capacity to gov.
ern itself, but they seem to forget that
no more serious criticism can be Of
fered on the clear vision of our law
yers and our legislative capacity than
the County Law as II now stands. pro
yided all that Is said against II be true,
Shall the Legislature or Congress-
correct this law? All things being
equal II is certainly preferable for tho
Legislature to correct such errors as
Il may have made. AS previously stat
ed in this paper, time and expense are
vital matters the Territory has to con
slider. II Congress can and will per-
form this task more quickly and at less
expense to the Territory, let Congress
do 1t. II Congress can't and won't,
then call the Legislature.
There is no good to be accomplished
in condemning the Hatch mission be-
foro anyone knows what Mr.. Hatch
and Delegate Kuhio can do. Our ca
pacity for local self government will
best be demonstrated by gaining what
is needed in the shortest time at least
expense. Prompt results are what the
people are seeking