The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-04-07
POLITICAL AND JURY REFORMS.


The work already accomplished by
the Merchants Association OF san
Francisco. in cooperation with other
bodies. towards the publication OF poll
,ics- without reference to party, and
towards the cleansing of the jury box,
is worthy of special notice in this Ter
ritory In fact, the trend In these
nhaees of reform is marked all over
the United States.
Having, among other successful
movements, devoted itself to the puri-
fication of the ballot box at general
and special elections, the Merchants
Association took up the original source
of political corruption, and attended 10
the primaries. Adolph Steffens, VINO
was arrested for fraudulent voting at
a primary, at its instigation, was con-
victed by a jury, after deliberation Tor
eight minutes, and sent to San Quentin
State Prison for three years.
But the chief effort of the Association
is to induce the voters to turn out at
party and is having a close personal
canvass made in San Francisco. The
low politicians, who have been running
politics there. cannot, but the represen-
tatiyes of purity can, enter into the bet
ter. class of homes. AS Mr.. Fairfax III.
Whelan, who is almost doing the work
of Hercules in purging the Augean
stables, where so much filth has ac-
cumulated, lately said: THE door
bell campaign is the most effective
known to the world of politics., and
he adds that, 1.-The great majority OF
American citizens are honest" and are
accessibIe,to those who without private
aims are seeking to promote the fair
and full expression of opinion in ev-
cry election, while the rotten politi-
clans, STEPPED in degradation, can only
make "a saloon to saloon canvass.
There are other directions in which
the Association is effectively working.
1t has declared against race track
gambling and is obtaining legislation
to suppress the use of trading stamps.
With it's concurrence, also, at the last
session of the Legislature of California,
Senator Belshaw introduced proposed
amendments to the State constitution,
extending civil service rules to all the
official departments. The Association
itself also had a bill prepared, modelled
after the New York law, restricting SER
vice on juries, except OF course in sin
gle cases which occupy a longer pc
Rod, to thirty days on a panel and to
twelve days of actual trial. After this
term of service, they are to be dis
qualified for a year, and this provision
destroys the business of professional
jurymen.
The Oakland Municipal League, a
part from party and looking only to
the point of a fair expression at the
ballot box, made the last election in
that city perfectly just. The Good Gov
eminent Club of Boston thoroughly in
vestigates all candidates for municipal
Office, and exercises an almost control
IES lT1uGuCc O1 Tic QuSSLlOtiS VI QUAIL
fication and character.
1t becomes Hawaii not to fall behind
the remainder of the Union in enforc-
ing that decency, honesty and intelli-
gence in the exercise of the right of suf-
frage, which is the supreme guarantee
for the permanence of American Insti-
tutions and the fair development and
spread of American ideas. In the Tween
tfeth Century, moral questions are being
generally taken up by the American
people, who are in complete harmony
with the views of citizenship express
ed so cogently and so frequently by
President Roosevelt. The extremities
as well as the body of the nation should
practically respond to this enforcement
i of higher standards