Hilo tribune., 1905-06-27
ALL LOST SAVE NOR.

"All is lost save honor appar-
emily was the motive which prompt
ed George r. Carter, when a re-
publican candidate was elected
sheriff Of Oahu without his appro-
val, to resign his office of Governor.
After making a personal fight
out of the election of a county tick
e on Oahu upon a self-construct-
ed platform of opposition to the
regular republican nominees and a
bitter personal campaign resulting
in a victory for those whom he so
strenuously opposed, there was left
only one decent thing for the Co
vernon to do-and that was to re-
sign. BY his attitude of antago-
nism and repeated assertion that
every ballot cast for A. NJ. Brown
would be construed as a slap at the
administration, the Governor plac-
ed himself in the unenviable posi-
ton Of having to withdraw from
the gubenatorial Office in the case
of the success of his opponents.
Either Carter did not place much
confidence in party loyalty and
party pledges, or else he overesti-
mated his own personal popu-
larity i'll attempting to throw him
self into the breach and block the
success CT the republican ticket.
No greater mistake could be
made by the Governor than to sup
pose that a Territorial Executives
power and influence are co-exten-
sive with a National administration
or that it can seriously be consider
ed as a governing factor i'll a local
county election. 1t was because
Of this feeling of resentment that
the voters administered so severe a
rebuke for the Governors inter-
ference last Tuesday. The same
feeling was reflected in the result
Of the election throughout the
County Of Hawaii and we saw an
otherwise strong republican local
ticket go down in defeat largely
because Of the Governors attitude
in attempting to dominate his party.
1t may be that very little can be
said against Governor Carter's
shrewdness and business ability,
but as a diplomat or politician, even
his warmest admirers cannot claim
for him great distinction. If he is
gifted with executive capacity, he
lacks the tact and personality to
hold his friends together, and that
confidence in his subordinates which
make willing employees and capa.
BILE public servants. The theory
of undated designations and that
every government employee should
bend the knee, is un-American and
contrary to the democratic spirit
wherever liberty and freedom of
speech prevails. He is accepted as
eminently respectable and honest in
all his actions and 10 be actuated
solely by what he considered was
for the best interests of the Terri
tory, but his policies have been
arbitrary and domineering, and his
desire to rule as a supreme dictator
was so strong within him that he
has lost more friends than he has
made during his brief tenure of
office. While a man of strong per-
sonality and character, he has sig
nally failed to exhibit an originate
ty or force of character which would
place him among the successful
leaders of men and affairs. His
last fiasco in attempting to indivi-
dually and personally oppose his
own party, and the campaign of
abuse and mud-slinging into which
he allwed himself to be drawn, lett
open to him only one course when
his efforts proved futile to disrupt
the party,-the Governor resigned
and he will hereafter flock to him
self.