The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-02-24
ELECTION
CONTEST
Committee Hearing
On haWaii's
Case.
Continued from Yesterday.1

THESE
things with the committee?
Mr.. Atkinson. Yes, sir.
The Chairman. Do you care to be
heard, Mr.. Delegate?
Mr.. Kalanianaole. No. sir; not I'M
less the committee wants to question
me in any way
The Chairman. You have nothing
to suggest in addition to what the sec
rotary has suggested?
Mr.. KalanianaoIe. No. sir
Mr.. Weems. This memorial does not
set up any results or claim any re-
suits 1t claims the election was in
validated
The Chairman. 1t does not claim
that the result was changed?
Mr.. Weems. No, sir.
The Chairman. Is there any gentle
man here desiring to be heard in favor
| of the memorial?
Mr.. Weems. Is this the only thing
that you have received from these
people?
The Chairman. 1t is the only thing.
Mr.. Miller. Suppose those people
| should conclude to drop their contest
down here, what question would there
be before Congress?
Mr.. Weems. 1t is contested case
! from the mere fact that the ballots
were printed that way, invalidating
/ the election.
The Chairman. Is there any Iegis-
lation on the part Of Congress that oc-
| ours to you as necessary or desirable
in connection with this, Mr.. Secretary?
| Mr.. Atkinson. Yes, sir.
The Chairman. What is it?
Mr. Atkinson. I would like to see
J he -hnl oil
think it is very loose. In the first place,
our election law that we have, our
old election law that we had under
the republic, provided for an election
of senators and representatives for
the Territory of Hawaii. When We
were annexed the organic act passed
provided for a Delegate to be elected
under rules and reguIations-this is not
the wording, but it is the idea-that
is, senators are elected with the same
qualifications under the rules and reg
ulations of senators. I very nearly got
into trouble, and I would not have
been able to get out of it, either, if
the opposition had been smart enough,
but they did not see it,
Here is the condition that existed:
We have eight different islands, and
nominations for representa- tives and
senators from the other islands must
be filed with the secretary in Homo
lulu twenty days before the election.
The idea is so that they can be sent
to Honolulu and printed and then sent
back to the district for the election.
The nominations of representatives.
and senators from Honolulu must be
filed ten days before the election. They
have plenty of time. But the Delegate
runs from the whole island and the
senator runs from each island. They
have separate districts.
The Chairman. Do you have as
many senators as you have islands?
Mr.. Atkinson. No, sir; Is senators
and so representatives. We elected s
last time Here was the condition that
arose: This man Motley, who ran as
a Delegate, as the home rule candi-
date, did not file his papers there
twenty days beforehand. and it was
published on the eighteenth or nine
teenth day-brought his papers up.
You see, he ran for the other islands
as well as Honolulu If he had brought
that in ten days before it would not
have been physically possible for me
to have gotten the ballots out for the
other islands, and yet there is nothing
in the law to say that [ should or
should not accept it. It was the same
with the senators. Senators. twenty
days, and in Honolulu, ten days be
fore If they had wanted to make trou-
bic for me-if they had brought those
in ten days befOre-it would not have
been physically possible for me to get
those out unless | chartered a steamer
and then ] would have had trouble.
could not have gotten them around |
That is one of the loose things in the
law.
The Chairman. How could you cor
rect that if they did not bring it to
you in time?
Mr.. Atkinson. think that the cleo
tons of the Delegates should be es- |
pecia1ly provided for.
MI Currier Twenty days before?
Mr. Atkinson. As it is now there are |
only a few lines in the Organic Act |
saying that the rules shall apply to the
election of Delegates to Congress. Since
we have been on here l would say |
think the administration down there /
thinks there are number of thing in |
the Organic Act which we need chang
ed, and there are number of bills al |
ready introduced, and [ think that in
stead of naming any special part and
trying to get this thing and that thing |
changed it would be better to have one
bill prepared. and try and get the whole |
thing together. We have not had any
amendment made to our Organic Act
since the islands were annexed. and it
was very hastily drawn
The Chairman. Are you. or is any
one familiar with the subject. preparing
an act 10 cover the deficiencies that