The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-12-16
FULL TEXT OF GOTHAM D,
GILMAH'S MOHOkK
SPEECH.
lcontinued from page 81

| Continued from page o.
eress for the Territory of Hawaii, the
| suffrage was made unlimited. This
was a. mistaken expression of the fran
chise, which, under the monarchy and
I'D to annexation, had been limited oy
| q property and educational qualif1ca-
ticn. There was a strong. but unava1l-
/ ing effort to keep the suffrage the
| same as it was. made by those who
knew the Hawaiians best, such men
| as President Dole, Chief Justice Frear
of the Islands, Senator'S Mitchell and
| CulIom. and Representative Hit OF
Congress. men of ability and judgment,
who had made a thorough examina-
| ton of the subject at the Islands, ana
| were qualified good judges.
At the first election in Hawaii I'M
der the new laws, it was plainly seen
that the mass of the natives were led
astray in the exercise of their new
| privileges by the greatest demagogue
the Islands have been cursed with,
man without moral character, but with
a better education than most of the
people, a man who had been tried and
convicted of treason against the gov
eminent and sentenced to death, but
later pardoned. This man succeeded
in fooling the natives and obtaining
for himself the election as delegate to
Congress from the Territory. His
course at washington showed his utter
worthlessness; he did not secure a
single measure passed by Congress for
the benefit of his constituents, and left
debts behind him when he left Wash
ington.
At the next election, a man of the
ancient royal blood consented to be
the Republican candidate for Con-
gressional Delegate. He is now can
didate for reelection.
The assembling of the first legisla-
ture of the Territory of Hawaii soon
revealed the utter incompetency of a
majority of the members to compre-
nend the rudimentary principles of
good government. The United States
Organic Act provided that the pro-
ceedings of the legislature should be
conducted in English. This was set
aside the first day of the session, and
is a sample of what followed. There
were petitions presented by members
that would have slammed the scholars
of a grammar school, The time was
mostly frittered away in attempts to
embarrass Governor Dole and his adj
ministration, as majority of the leg
islature had been elected on the same
platform as the delegate, and were in
sympathy with him under the class
cry of Hawaii for the Hawaiians. The
better class of the community could
do but little to prevent some most alb
surd and dangerous legislation. The
session closed by limitation without the
passage of the necessary appropriation
bills, and an extra session had to be
called for that purpose making the
total expense to the territory greater
ho nf 81 in ba
of the nation.
The second session of the legislature
was not much Improvement on the
first. Most of the time was passed in |
a wrangle to pass what was called "a
county BILL, but which might better
have been called bill to provide Of
fees for as many Hawaiians as posi- |
BILE. The measure as passed was de-
clared by the United States authorities |
to be null and void. There was the
usual lobbying carried on by the ma
Jority, but they could point to Iegis-
latures on the mainland which could
give them lessons in the art. Still, 1
there was saving portion which sue
ceeded in staying much mischief and
in doing some good work for the ter. |
ritory.
The Hawaiians are somewhat excus-
able, perhaps, for their lack of integ- |
rity and ignorance in legislative mat |
tiers, from the fact that they are much |
like children suddenly placed in places
of responsibility, unprepared, without |
proper education or experience
There are those who think that as |
yet but few Hawaiians can wisely be |
placed at the heads of departments or /
Entrusted with the control of affairs. /
While good subordinates, they are not
- ko1x ,,
portant matters requiring a full sense
of responsibility. Several instances
have occurred where Hawaiians forced
upon the administration for RESPONSE
bic positions have proved defaulters
and embezzlers of the public funds.
The voting Hawaiians seem possessed
with the idea that as Congress has
made them full-hedged American citi-
zens they are, therefore, fully capable
Of filling any and all offices of the
government, and that they are the ones
who should fill them. Their logic is
offices belong to the citi-
zens. we are the citizens, hence the
offices belong to u.s. Nevertheless.
here is among them a slowly-increas-
ng sense of public responsibility. 1t
s to be hoped that the incoming Leg
stature will contain a larger number of
men of character, for there are many
such among the Hawaiians if they
an be brought forward, to counteractl
he sordid politicians
Governor Dole stood nobly for the
Jest interest of Hawaii in all things
or decade. His has been a self
acrificing position, like that of his
ather and mother who gave their lives
o the advancement of education and
eiigion among the people. 1t was no
asy task to stand firm under the pres
ure of friends and opponents, but
Governor Dole always maintained the !
1gnif1ed position that as the Governor !
I the Territory, and servant of the
Jnited States, he must not be swayed
y personal inclination, but act only
or the good of the charge committed
D his care When q raca nov or,c.,,r.rI,.d