The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-12-08

|
branches, and such meetings as this o.
tonight should certainly be productive
of good.
will be glad IL you will give the
time allotted to me to some one who
can, probably, better advance ideas az
to the necessities of the hour, and as
| sure you that / am at all times with
and for Hawaii mel: physical inability
alone prevents me from being present
tonight, and 1 trust you Will, If neces.
sary, state the fact.
With assurance of esteem,
| Very sincerely yours,
EDGAR CAYPLESS.
BREcKoNs TALKS.
District Attorney Breckons in open
| ing said thai he wanted those present
| to feel that he had no feeling in the
| matter, and they could disagree with
! him If they wished. II am not always
right l know that" said Mr.. Breckons
''and | guess 1 am pretty often wrong
l believe first Of all in the Home Rule
proposition stated by the previous
speaker. And l believe, too, that Con-
| gress believes in the same principle
| for the Te, ritory of Hawaii. But it is
condition and not theory that con-
| fronts us. Congress in it's wisdom
gave Hawaii the power of making
| laws for local self government. In
| the same act 1t provided also that
| laws should be passed in certain
| specified manner. That is the title of
| an act should not deal with more than
| one subject.
Something. by the way, which Con-
gress itself doesn't do. The immigra-
| ton law for instance contains in Sec
| tion 30, surrounded by provisions re-
| garding immigration, a section which
provides that hereafter no Intoxicating
liquors shall be sold in the Capitol
| building in Washington.
Now we will have to go to Con-
gress and say that we didn't keep close
to the act, that we didn't do some
thing that Congress itself doesn't do.
This act passed by the legislature COM
pletely changes the system of gov
eminent in the Islands. 1t Is a law
asked by the majority of the people,
by both political parties, by all class
es. Naturally with this complete
change in system, the law is not
generally understood. Naturally also
1t Is quite likely to be attacked. Cor
porations don't like to pay taxes no
better than individuals. Corporations
are better able to carry cases to the
highest courts than individuals, and
than counties. They have the money
to stay in the fight to the end. So
we may expect attacks on the county
law in every possible way it can be
made. So we are confronted with the
problem that after January 4th of
what will become of the county act.
portion has been declared illegal by
the Supreme Court-if | had n client
until decided by the highest court
The only way in which the county act
can be attacked is through its conflict
with the Organic Act, on two sub
jects.
DO you want county government?
eyes" loudly said some one in the
audience)
WANT COUNTY LAW.
Both parties want the county law,
the governor has approved it, and now
Mr.. Hatch has been sent to Washing
ton to ask Congress to ratify it.
Here is an act which by reason of
technicalities is liable to attack. We
want local self government and the
law suits us, the only way to attack
1t, is on these two subject sections in
the Organic Act. Now if Congress
says it is an right that the technicali- |
ties should be swept away, then it will |
become law. AS 1t is we want the |
county act, the government wants It, |
out the merchants are afraid to sell |
the counties goods and the banks are |
AFRAID to lend them money until II is |
settled. Perhaps few thousands in |
lawyers fees might get 1t determined ,
and perhaps some parties want !
special session of the Legislature. But
legislatures cost money prolonged
laughter). All want to say Is that |
The county act is all right, and It isn't
asking Congress TO pass local legisla-
lion for us any more than in asking
congress not to touch It,. We passed
he law, and We are now asking Con-
sress To give us a wider scope in strik-
nut Objectionable sections in the Or
sanic Act. AS / understood the
Hatch mission Il Is not to get Congress
o approve the county act so II can be
'mended only by Cons ress, for the act
contains a provision that nothing in It
shall be construed to prevent it's
amendment or repeal by the legisla-
ure.
NAY GET CONGRESSIONAL AID.
Another matter, the Senate sub
10.
which 1t said would be remedied by