The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-02-28
PLATFORM PLEDGES AND COUNTY
GOVERNMENT.

nIadged himself TO do harfnIul act
in honor bound to do it when the harih
is made plain to him by the people
whom he thought to benefit?
If the pledge was merely construc-
five one incurred by running for ONCE
ON platform which contained 1t, does
IT bind the successful candidate against
the dictates of public policy and the
interests of those who voted for him
Is a platform pledge personal oath
or is it to be regarded as general
agreement to do certain things for the
public good providing, when the time
Comes the public wants it done and
would profit by it?
For an answer it is well TO STUDY
precedents. The Democratic Nauonal
convention of 1884 pledged its nominee
Governor Cleveland, TO turn the ras-
Gals out" meaning the entire body OF
Republican officeholders: but when
Mr.. Cleveland became President he al
lowed the Republicans to finish their
terms and lent his influence to civh
and not politics the chief qualIhcatloh
for Office. Democratic grafters We're
disappointed but the President grew IN
popular estimation and was again
elected. He had put public duty ana
civic righteousness before meretrl-
cious platform pledge.
Again. the Democratic National plat
form of 1892 pledged the party and the
President to a general reduction OF
the tariff. The party found it eHpe-
dent to evade the main provisions Oh
this pledge so as to avert great finan-
ciaI panic; and what was compromised
uposn. while it did much harm, was
long departure from the agreement.
Yet no.
a platform is a declaration of the
present beliefs and principles Of
given party; but circumstances alter
cases and nobody. when it Is found
that the enactment of such beliefs and
principles would work public injury,
expects the enactment to be made
The last Republican Territorial plat
form declared for county government
IT now appears that the official who
works for county government is labor
ing to create more taxes than the peo-
pie can pay, to swell the delinquent
list. to increase, thereby, the sheriff
sales of the poor mans property, to
innpair the general credit and to pro-
1iI1cr
that until the population is much
larger, county government would bear
down on the taxpayer like milestone
about the neck Of a spent swimmer.
A legislators highest duty is to work
in the interests of his constituents and
of the country as a whole. 1t is not IN
such interests that he would deliber-
ateIy take course to increase the
financial embarrassments of the people,
in these hard times. He may have
promised. under a mistaken apprehen-
sion of the facts, to lead the way. to
a firm footing along a new path. He
afterwards finds that the path ends
in a bog or a quicksand and that the
old path is the only safe one. Not
wanting to ruin himself and his friends
he saws f-sr1lly to them: We are go
ing the wrong way. There is danger
ahead. Let us get back to safe
ground" Can anyone call him
pledge-breaker for that? Is the cap
tain of a ship a pledge-breaker who
on finding the harbor he cleared to fun
of contact mines and torpedoes turns
his vessel about and makes for safe
port instead? Surely not.
Hinder these circumstances the Re
pubIicans dealing with the county act
should get together and, without sur
rendering any faith they may have in
the principle of county government,
postpone consideration of the matter
until some more fitting time than one
of financial stringency. They need not
fear the people. The Bulletin, which
cannot carry a single primary in this
city and is known as a cheap and DIS
reputable CRATER, is not the people.
Nor is it's ELUSIVE pet job-chaser, who
never carried his own primary until
the Governor interfered in his behaf
and who once described himself in
letter to the Brooklyn Eagle as a
-'bona-f1de office seeker''-neither is he
the people. The only people" whom
a party-Ieader need fear in Hawaii are
those who pay the taxes and are not
grating to get them back; and the
politician who helps burden them with
more taxes. for which they get no cor
responding advantage, viii assuredly
hear from them adversely at the polls