The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-12-04
HOU HAWAII HANDLED
ITS ELECTION
Remarkable Condition of Race Amity
In Our Insular Territory-Repub-
In Our Insular Territory-Repub
licans Generally Control.

HcalS ueHeTdIIy SOntrOl.
| HONOLULU, Hawaii, Nov. u.s.
| Hawaii returns Jonah Kuhio Kali
anianaole ('Prince Cupid") to Wash
ington as the territory's delegate t,
congress, by heavy majority. H,
ran on the Republican ticket.
Honolulu's first mayor is Demo
crat, winning over his Republican
competitor by seven votes.
Both of these men are Hawaiians
but while Cupid defeated white
man of the Democratic ticket, and Q
fellow Hawaiian of the Home Rule
party, Joseph Fern. the mayor elect
won over two Hawaiians, one Of the
regular Republican party. and the
other Home Rule-Labor candidate
Generally speaking the victory OF
the recent election Is Republican
throughout the territory. In the
Legislature the Republicans have 8
out of Is senators. and % out of 80
representatives. A majority of the
members of both houses are Hawaii
an or part Hawaiian, while the Por-
tuguese have several members.
The election was remarkable In
every part of the territory for the
amount of split-ticket voting, and
again emphasized the small part
played by party allegiance or race
lines. This has always been to a
great extent the case in Hawaii and
although there Is always talk before
elections of drawing racial lines, and
some agitation to that end, the re-
suits never perceptibly show the eff
feet of 1t. 1t is one of the most
and probably unparalleled ex-
ampIes Of race amity on record.
The island of Oahu, which includes
the city Of Honolulu, elected six
white men out of total of Is men,
bers for the legislature. Only 3 out
of the 15 were Democrats, one Of
them being white man. There is
absolutely no indications that race
had any part in the matter,
some of the Hawaiians getting their
heaviest vote In white" precincts,
while some of the ''haole" or white
stood in native precincts
as high as any Of the Hawaiians.
Hawaii, being territory, has no
voice in national politics, save in the
election Of delegate to congress;
nor does she elect her governor, ter
'itorial secretary, or judiciary. How
ever besides electing their members
% the legislature, each of the four
counties elects board of supervisors
ind other county officials, while
honolulu, by an act of the last legis-
ature, now elects mayor as well. |
For all these offices men were elect
ID II over the territory, apparently
argely on their own popularity, re-
,ardless of party or race. This was
specially true in the islands outside
# Oahu, where the white population
S much in minority. \
AS may be supposed, neither the
Democrat nor Republican party in
Hawaii has very much in common
With these same named parties on
he mainland, most of the issues be-
ng local. The Republican party
ere, however, generally represents
he commercial and business element,
nd is generally In sympathy with
mainland issues supported by the Re-
ublican platform. Hawaiian Demo-
rats are likewise loyal to national
arty traditions. The Home Rule
arty Is exclusively Hawaiian, and Is
In principles, being the
VI tAC Oiu I0dStlOudIy |
arty which generally opposed gov
rnment founded on Democratic or
republican ideals While 1t is still
orce to be reckoned with it succeed
d In electing but few of its candi-
ates anywhere in the territory, even
n the island of Hawaii, where 1t is
trongest.
The city of Hanolulu, after the
Irst Of the year, will be governed by
mayor, of native blood, and board
t seven supervisors, four Of whom
re also Hawaiians. The mayor is a
'emocrat, but six members of the
GARD are Republicans.
Although the entire campaign and
lection were orderly and well man
ged and there has not been single
ontest of the returns, though some y
[ the candidates ran very close, 1t L
lust not be imagined that there was i
ny lack of interest and enthusiasm. |.
4 several instances there were most r
liter fights for weeks before election I