The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-01-15
DEFECTS OF THE
COUNTY SYSTEM

Editor Advertiser: Perhaps the de-
cision of the Supreme Court which
| killed the County Act may prove after
all an undsguised blessing. Certainly
! a very large number of persons so re-
| gard it today. 1t must be Il surprise
to those who thought the Territory
launched on an ocean of universal APP
proval into county government, to hear
the comments of nearly all. on the
| matter. 1t is safe to say that four
fifths heartily approve of the final re-
suit of the work done by the court.
Many of these favored the new de-
| parture when it was proposed. 1t
| may be, as claimed, that very large
majority of voters were in favor of
lacking another government to what
we have But the discussions in the
Legislature, in the papers and on the
streets, have opened many eyes and
| favor has been succeeded by doubt,
doubt by apprehension and opposition.
| A recent visit to Kona and Kohala
| developed the fact that country voters
too. have been watching the progress
\ of events. Many who openly declared
| for the county, who possibly could not
| give any good reasons, except. that 1t
| is in the line of advance and Ameri-
| Canism, are now with equal openness
| ranged in opposition. One very intel
| ligent man declared that in another
| election voters would require pledges
| from candidates against the county,
| or they would not get votes. He is
| not a sugar planter or large land own
| err either.
The discussions have been a cam
paign of education and the results are
| largely against the county. 1t is
| probably not true, as stated by one
| speaker at the meeting this morning,
| that the county plank was placed in
| the platforms of both parties in obedi-
| ence to an overwhelming demand from
| the people. 1t was placed there be-
| cause of an overwhelming demand by
the politicians and they are not neces-
| sarily the people. Whether any party
| will be wiped out that in the next
election, declared against the county,
remains to be seen. At present it
| seems likely that the next election
will be carried by the Hawaiian as
against the white man; If the actions
of such native Republicans az Iaukea
and Kumalae are any criterion.
Generally the politician is a pretty
shrewd observer and actor He seeks
to turn public prejudices and feelings
to his advantage by careful manipu-
laton. In 1900 the convention in Phil
adelphia was compelled to yield to
popular demand in favor of Roosevelt.
SO they nominated him, against their
wishes, but with much reclamation, to
be Vice President. The writer heard
several of them remark, that it was
safer. He would be harmless In that
position, and in 1904 he could be laid
| aside because he had been honored by
| the party in 1900 and his claims thus
, satisfied. Now they are putting for
ward the name of Hanna to test pop
ular feeling at time when many are
very sore over the far reaching con-
illusions Of the postal frauds investiga-
tons, and the large conservative ele-
! ment is shaken by something wrong
| as they imagine, in the Panama affair
| In the same way our popular pulse
| has been tested about county govern
ment and it is safe to say that q very
, large number of our voters, probably
| all of the conservative thinkers, those
who know something of history, now
| believe that the time has not yet ar
| rived to try this new system in Ha-
| wall. Iaukea Is evidently not willing
! to trust the matter again to our voters,
| but would place 1t in Congress where
! ignorance and perhaps indifference as to
| our peculiar conditions are the rule
| and where a vote in favor of what
appears democratic and POPULAR Is al
most certain. This Is especially true
! and most likely to happen when we
must pay the piper and not the con-
stituents of the Congressman who
vote. Witness the amendments In ia
vor OF universal suffrage, prohibition
and other untried and doubtful expert
ments which were tackled on to the
Territorial Act, on its second reading.
Have we any assurance that the same
thing will not occur when Congress
legislates for our county?
Nations and institutions are of slow
labor and growth. 1t took centuries
to develop the present forms OF Anglo
Saxon government. The United
States presents the most artificial of
all forms, 1t has taken many years,
not unaccompanied by bitter struggles.
to place them where they are. Shall
we transplant to Hawaii without first
preparing the soil? 1t Is safe to say
that a majority OF our 1900 voters are
totally untitled for this Let us go
slow, with the end In view of grad
ually accommodating ourselves to the |
changed conditions and then adopt |
the forms as We have accepted the |
fact OF democratic government.