The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1906-07-17

rialize at Democratic precinct meetings
and primaries. There are Democrats,
no end, when Republican factions are
fighting each other, and boyle men and
phantoms are needed But there are
very few Democrats on election day,
the day of all days when they are most
needed for their party's good.
And yet, the wonder is that there is
as good a Democratic vote cast as
| there is. 1t is not due to any merit in
the party management in the early
days of the Territory At the first
election after the organization of the
Territory, the Democratic campaign
committee spent probably more money
than has ever been spent since by any
campaign committee. But it came out
of the election without the vestige of
an organization. For four years there
was not a precinct or district meeting
of Democrats, scarcely, worthy of the
name. For all the money that was
spent in the campaign of 1900 there was
absolutely nothing to show for it in
the way of a permanent organization
of the party. There were no precinct
clubs or organizations of any kind.
was absolutely nothing left by the
campaign committee of 1900 to show
who We're Democrats in the several
districts and precincts. 1t wasn't even
possible to mail literature to the DEM
ocrats for no one knew who they were.
For nearly four years the Democratic
Territorial Central Committee was a
rump organization, representing no
party organization, and for the most
part candidly recognizing that fact,
but holding together from the sheer
necessity of the case, doing the best it
could to keep the banner of the party
aloft, and hoping for something to hap
pen that would enable the party to be-
come organized, to maintain party dis
cipline, and to pursue, if not a consist
ent policy, at least one that represent
ed, at the time, the will of a recog-
nzed body of voters.
Whatever else may be charged or
credited to the Hearst boom" it gave
the first rudiments of party organiza-
tion to the Democracy of the Territory
which it aid ever had As a result,
there was some definite precinct or
ganization. There began to be some
basis Of representation for district and
territorial organization.
The Republicans, at the organization
of the territory and the drawing Of
party lines, began precinct organiza-
ton. The territory throughout was
definitely organized in every precinct.
and though the Republican party was
almost as badly defeated in the first
election as the Democratic party was
the party survived because it was or
ganized in every precinct, and because
of that organization it made itself the
dominant party at the next election.
If, as has been said, and is widely
believed, our system of government
demands a well organized party IN OPP
position, this territory will never reach
that point of Americanism until the
Democratic party gets to work and
organizes itself, makes itself dis
tinct entity, puts itself in a position
where its members are known, so that
the game of Gin and out" can no long
er be so readily played, and where aid
ing in "stuffing" a Republican precinct
roll, will forfeit membership in the
Democratic organization. If the DEM
ocratic party is ever to amount to any
thing in this territory, it must thor
oughly organize. AS an aid to good
government on the part of the Repub-
lican party organization, nothing could
be more helpful than a complete or
ganizatlOn of the Democratic party,
taking out Of availability the material,
that otherwise is almost certain to be