The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-01-01
DEMOCRATS ARE
FULL OF PLANS

Court yesterday refusing n recount and |
confirming the election of Joseph j.
Fern as mayor, more cheeful spirit |
was observable among the Democratic
faithful. As the Mayor elect has not
yet announced his appointments-in
fact has not fully decided on all of
them yet hope burns in the breasts of
all who have been certified to rs simon.
pure Democrats by the County Com
mittee.
Indeed there are others besides those
who have successfully run the gauntlet
of the County Committee who have not
given up hope of being selected to help
make record for the first city admin.
istration. There are said to be num-
Der of Republicans who hope that the
| political line will not be drawn so hard
and fast as to bar them out. Some of
these, it is said, have represented to
the Mayor.elect, that after all they
weren't very good Republicans, not
good enough to outweigh their peculiar
qualifications for the positions they are
asking to be appointed to fill.
1t is understood that Mayor.elect
Fern will make his appointments on
Thursday. So far he has given no init.
nation of who will be his choice for
particular offices, except that he has
reiterated his intention to maintain
cordial relations with the party organ
ization. There is a good deal of specu.
lation as to who will receive the ap.
pointment as Road Supervisor. There
are number of applicants, it is said,
besides those who have filed their APP.
plications through the County Commit
tee. But the Mayor-elect has given no
intimation of where his choice will fall
i The Mayor. elect rendered his resig-
nation as a member of the Board of
Supervisors of Oahu last night on the
ground that as Mayor-elect he had to
perform certain duties during the
month of December, and there might
be considered some incompatibility be.
tween the exercise of functions under
the municipal act and the performance
of duties as Supervisor under the
County Act. His colleagues on the
board showed their kindly sentiments
and good will toward him by object
ing to accepting the resignation, mere
ly receiving it and placing it on file.
The decision of the Supreme Court
declining to give recount in the
mayoralty contest seems to meet with
very general public satisfaction. Many
Republicans have expressed themselves
as glad the decision was given MS it
was 1t ism that there is any feeling
against the Republican candidate, Lane,
but it is apparently the feeling that
there was fair election and n fair
count, and that recount would only
continue the uncertainty and the ex-
citement of the election which they are
glad to have over. There has never
been much enthusiasm for the contest
among Republicans generally, so that
the decision of the Supreme Court
II out Is HOU at all uHSdJlS-
factory to the party as whole.
Mayor elect Fern intends to max, ap.
pointments to all the offices that under
the County were filled by appointment
of the Board of Supervisors, that be-
ing the Interpretation the Democrats
put on the requirements of the munich
pal act. This Interpretation of the law
does not seem to be seriously contro-
verted, if the utterances of the Repub
lican Supervisors-elec on the subject
indicate their views. One of them in
the Mayor-elect's power under the law,
| in the matter, but seemed to think that
| the supervisors by reason of their power
to appropriate or withhold money for
the public service could coerce the
Mayor into sharing his appointing pow
| err with them. His argument seemed
to be biased on the theory that the
supervisors in voting salaries would
vote them for men and not for posi-
tons. He said:
"We were elected by the people, as
was the Mayor said this Supervisor,
"and we have to appropriate public
moneys to the best uses and to en-
| ploy the best men to get the best re-
| suits. | do not mean that the Mayor
will not appoint good men, but / un.
derstand there are some political obi
cations to be paid off,. and, of course,
that means Jobs to some who may be
incompetent. What / am getting at is
that some of the men proposed for
public Offices in the gift of the Mayor,
are not as capable as some in. Our
duty to the taxpayers will not permit
MS, or, at least, myself, to vote for an
appropriation for such an officer u
| don mean that l would lend myself
to ilibustering, but we Supervisors
have obligations to the public, just as
| the Mayor has. +"
The Democrats propose to have an
organ. The Aloha Alma is now owned
by a corporation in which Democrats