The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-06-11
The CRY OF "PROYE III"

II one is to Judge a Legislature by
what can be proved against it in
precise terms, few Of the most delin-
quent of law-making bodies would ever
be convicted. A Legislature, being a
law unto itself and above the ordinary
processes of judicial inquiry, is able to
| escape the kind of investigation that
lays bare rascality and Furnishes crime.
We have lately seen Legislators refuse
TO accept a subpoena from the district
court where their testimony might have
established a breach of the peace; and
it is well understood that the suspected
members of the House would resist a
Grand Jury summons to testify as TO
their own official conduct. And TO pro-
tect themselves from inquiry in future,
the suspects propose to burn the vouch-
ers of the House. The only excuse ever
given for such an unheard-of proceed |
ing-one coming from a prominent Ha-
waiian member-is that the publication |
of the vouchers might blacken the ma
tive character"
The Bulletin. a party to some very
shady printing deals with the House
comes to its defence on every
charge or imputation affecting its per-
sonal honesty. But the paper is care
full to evade argument. If it desires
any it might begin by pointing out the
honesty of a proposition to
pay $40 for printing which can be had
elsewhere for $1.3S; the disingenuous- |
less of the translation deal; the square,
less of the Pauoa water job and of the
franchise in which a gentle
nan very close to the paper was inter- ]
sted. 1t might also explain the sud- \
en- wealth of previously impecunious I
MEMBERS of the House. If the Bulletin
an prove the righteousness of these :
cts of which the House stands accused c
nd in the public mind convicted then d
he case of the taxpayers against the
legislature will fall to the ground -
ut it can make nothing by the parrot
Ike crX, of Prove it! prove it," That r
too much like Boss Tweed's remark: L
What are you goin' to do about it ?
on can't prove nothin'."
The Bulletin says:
AS regards the particular instance in
md. those foremost in attacking the ds
legislature had at their complete COM b
and every detail of government ma si
inery American institutions offer
r ferreting out corruption. They III
he lf0f
their beck and call. The Grand 70
ry was presided over by one of their ma
personalities. What was the result? =.
e Attorney Generals Department ~
| nothing; the Grand Jury did moth WI
:. Further, the element that had to-
IN crying corruption kept exceeding he
mum during the session of the Grand ue
~. th'
de-
mis- sorry plea is disposed of for the orc
st part above, but it is we'll to add tir
It neither the Attorney-General's Of go
, nor the Grand Jury could compel "-
single member of the Legislature to
tify; and that the House-the Burn
House-was careful, by
the secret service fund de-
I'd by the Attorney General, to de- a
,o hfr, % q oba-oa 20 M. eI,i1Ia,5 cos
the
e''i'eS 'i 'he ian VI any Aiiiu VI tina
cality which might prove battling or onI
rely entertaining to native police jec
n or
inally the cry of Prove it," has 1,er
n raised by every corrupt Legisla- bet
e and it's organs, that have ever ALT
ID accused of infamy. But they are the
eful not to give any facilities of in CO.. CO..
ugation. Gle;
less