Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-09
FACTIONS IN HAWAII
A Queer Mix-Up in the Ter
ritorial Legislature.
HOME RULER SPEAKER
RACE ISSUE A SERIOUS QUESTION,
DIVIDING THE MAJORITY.
Law Makers Get Actively to Work,
However, Grinding
Out Bills.
HOME RULER SPEAKER
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.


HONOLULU, T. H, February %, 1908.
With a republican majority OF two to one
the second territorial legislature of Hawaii
elected a home rule speaker of the House
and home rule clerk. The results of eff
forts to organize the house have led to
general opinions that the race issue, the
antagonism of the haole i.'white," the word
means now, literally strangely on the part
of the native Hawaiians is such that ballot
divisions of the future will be along the
lines of race feeling.
In the election last November the republi-
cans won an Overwhelming victory. They
had in the house twenty to ten home rulers,
and they had in the Senate an overwheim-
ing majority. 1t was naturally supposed that
they would organize both houses. 1t was
thought that their control Of the situation
was so complete that the home rulers, in
their hopeless minority, were an insignifi-
cant quantity. But they reckoned, appar-
emily, without considering the fact that
blood is thicker than water.
The republicans held frequent caucuses
before the session. They intended to agree
upon a plan of procedure as well as upon
a set of officers for the session, but there
was no agreement on either. There were
twelve native Hawaiians and eight whites
among the twenty republicans who attend
white took the control and used 1t.
A Speakership Fight.
There was contest over the speakership.
The whites had before proposed 8. F. Chill
lingworth and he was supposed to be salts
factory to all. For clerk of the house,
desirable position, the winning candidate
in every one of these republican scaucuses
was Solomon Meheulo, home ruler, the
ole Of fba act ha
upon him, a supposed republican caucus
thus appointing a member Of the opposite
party to the most lucrative position in its
gift.
After this seven members of the caucus
decided to bolt and flock with the home
rulers on the vote for speaker, rather than
be dominated by the thirteen who had eau
cused alone and were solid on all PROPOSE
tons, therefore controlling the party in
the house. The party executive committee,
which was f1outed by Kumalae's thirteen,
approved the scheme, and SO 1t was that
the home rulers in the House, when they
thought they were casting their ten votes
as complimentary votes for Beckiey, were
voting for the winning candidate.
A Home Ruler Chosen.
The result was an immediate adjournment
and the republicans met in caucus to ad-
just their differences. They were success
full, but they had reckoned without Speaker
Beckley. 1t was planned to have him re-
sign and then to organize the house over
again, with republicans in charge But
Beckley not only refused to resign but he
announced from the speakers desk that he
would not do So that there was no parlia-
mentary law under which he could be put
out and that he would not recognize any
member on the floor with a motion or reso-
luton looking to that end.
The young Hawaiian whom the repub-
ino h0d fny,tin l.,
proceeded to rule with a firm hand He
showed excellent knowledge of parliament
tary law, and laid 1t down for both sides.
He discussed the selections of committees
with the members, and then made up his
own committees. There were grumblings,
but the republicans appeared to be helpless
and they accepted the situation with good
grace, and proceeded with the business Of
the session.
A Bitter fractional Feeling.
The row, which appears to have originated
largely in race division, has left breach
in the republican ranks. Kumalae and his
followers are bitter and disappointed, and
they accuse the others Of being boilers
They have just published signed state
ment, all avowing that they did not vote
for Beckley and thus making 1t clear who
the seven were who voted with the ten
straight home rulers. The seven are all
white men.
With these preliminary skirmishes over,
both houses went to work with energy and
system. A large number of bills and reso-
buttons have already made their way on to
the calendars of both houses and the actual
business of the session is In full swing One
Of the first propositions to be passed on was
a joint resolution offered by Senator w. C.
Achi, a part Chinese, asking that Hawaii
be admitted into the Union as a state
Copies are to be sent to the President, the
houses of Congress and heads Of national
departments Hawaii has not been a ter
ritory long, but the goal Of every American
territory is statehood, and she is not going
to lose any time in trying to get there.
The resolution was passed unanimously by