The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-08-20

Thanks ThoseWhoAided
Him During His
Term.
CFrom Fridays Advertiser, ,

(F'rom Fridays Advertiser.)
1T is now almost four years since,
in this very hall, under this historic
canopy and on this very platform,
trembling with fear, / read to an au-
dience representing the people of Ha-
waii the few thoughts which occurred
to my mind bearing on the responsible
ties l was then about TO assume Some
of you may remember 1 then said, that
often when wrong l would be thought
right and when right would be thought
wrong. Actual experience demonstrates
that this process is going on all the
time, due to the differences in temper
ament, in disposition, and in the point
of view of the individuals.
To-day, when relieved of the grave
responsibility of directing and con-
trolling your affairs, l am glad to be
able to say that my promise, not to
spare myself in your interests, has
been kept. | am not conscious of
having shirked that which appeared to
me to be in the interest of the whole,
no matter how disagreeable or at what
personal cost of comfort or friendship.
To me, the period seems one continued
struggle to accomplish by a vivid re-
cognition of the meagerness of the re-
suits.
Our civilization has not yet pro-
duced perfect form of government for
any community, and slight practical
experience on the part of anyone will
demonstrate that effectiveness is ham
pered by precedents and restrictions;
that public officials are often obliged
to adopt an impractical course, lack
ing in common sense and extravagant
in most, the only other alternative be-
ing to abandon the object sought. 1t
has been well said that popular form
OF government is a most expensive lux
ury.
IF the Territory is to gain by ex-
perience, there are a few incidents of
the past which it will be we'll for the
public to consider calmly, and l can
not feel that l have done my full duty
by you if l do not at this time call
your attention to them and ask you to
give them your close and unbiased
study
First: Senate's Power of Approval
and Removal.-At the time of taking
office, Hawaii had passed through one
of those unaccountable periods when
prostitution of public trust becomes
epidemic. The loss of revenue by de-
falcations was not to be compared with
the harm done in other ways.
This situation had arisen largely
from the fact that the Senate claimed
the right to exercise the prerogative
given it by our Organic Act and had
refused to approve of appointments
made by the Executive. This had not
been done on the strong grounds or
incompetency and inefficiency, but
rather that, as the Senate had been
given the power of approvab it had
right to exercise its authority. Thus
certain appointments were practically
forced upon the Executive, and it was
only natural to presume that the re-
sponsibility for them had been assum-
ed by the Senate. But when the out
rageous inroads on the public treasury
and the rObberies that had been COM
mitted were brought home to some of
those whom the Senate had most Wig
orously supported, public indignation
was aroused and the community at
first intimated that it held the Execu-
tive responsible for the appointments.
After the first impulse had subsidized,
the public realized the part that the
power of approval had played.
@ Responsibility and power are CO.
existent; without the one the other
can not be, and this experience should
teach the community that the true posi-
tion of the Senate is not that<it shares
the responsibility or power of appoint
ment, but rather that it has in its
hands check or balance on the abuse
of the appointive power, and it should
not attempt to share in the respon-
sibility for appointments, but only
exercise its power as a preventative of
personal favoritism and inefficiency.
However, the power simply to ap-
point is not sufficient for the proper
administration of the affairs of any
community. A public servant s use
fulness often ceases without actual vio-
lation of the law, and 1 maintain that