The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-10-23
BUSINESS MEN AND POLITICS.

The business men of this Territory
are eager to restore good times and are
expending money to attract tourists
and settlers and to make the Islands
a pleasanter place to visit. Their dol
lars are going into the work of the Pro-
motion Committee and into that of the
anti-mosquito crusaders. With their
appreciation the Territory is improving
its harbors and supplying great public
utilities on shore and otherwise making
ready for larger trade and more
populous communities.
So far, so good But the time has
come to do something else. The ques-
ton of future prosperity Is now mixed
up with politics; for in the coming
county elections as in the Territorial
ones of last year, issues are presented
which have the closest possible relation
to business and credit. Every bust
ness man knows that, unless a given
city or county has good government
1t cannot hope to recruit new taxpay-
ers or retain its old ones. The ques-
tons of government and taxation are
uppermost in the mind of every man
who is asked to settle or invest in any
special locality If community is in
the hands of honest men it will supply
its own credentials to the stranger;
IL, on the othe~ hand, 1t is irresponsibly
governed, common sense outsider will
not identify himself with it at ALL
This points out one of the dangers
of Home Rule ascendency. We venture
to say that If election day should reg
lister the choice of men like Wilcox,
Boyd, Caypless, Booth, 1aukea, Charles
Wilcox, ct al values would fall and
some good prospects fade. This is
no alarmist view; 1t Is common sense.
The head of the Home Rule ticket de-
clares his purpose to continue his life
long war on white men and white in
stitutions-among the latter the segre-
cation of lepers. His right hand man
was not long ago indicted for embeZ-
element in public office and escaped
with a Scotch verdict. At best he is a
notorious tax eater and spokesman
The Home Rule candidate for Tax As
SCISSOR and Collector confessed, not long
ago in the public prints that his Off
cial record was so black that human
hands could not cleanse 1t. The most
indefensible job which appeared in the
late Legislature-a sheer attempt to rob
the public of q fortune-was engineer
ed by the Fome Rule candidate for
Treasurer. His colleague, who is rum
ming Tor Auditor mas Deen removed
from two offices within two years for
cause. On the whole ticket there is
not a man whom one would choose for
a responsible private post Does any
citizen, especially any business man,
need to be told that the induction of
such an element to the administrative
control of Honolulu and Oahu would
be the means of checking progress and
neutralizing the efforts now being made
to get new men and fresh capital into
the community? Both the pecuniary
credit and the moral repute of Oahu
county will suffer If it permits such
professional freebooters to spend its
county taxes and levy new ones.
The Advertiser believes that the bust
ness men of Honolulu-all the employ
ers of labor-the heaviest taxpayers
and property owners hold the electoral
balance of power They proved it last
fall even to their own surprise; and II
they prove it again in the county poll
ing they will have not only elected the
Republican ticket but will have shat
tered the Home Rule organization. It'll
is as much their interest to act as 1t
was last year; and the duty Is espe-
cially importunate in view OF the large
outlay made to secure forms of local
progress which Home Rule victory
would instantly check.