The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-11-17

81 iii fstf.f f|fenN tss fla pfU
pressed AtM Nefl4 rlalIHN1 have
fffttlellf dftlifai ih iatef o3 y llltfi
NfIHslf Itu. ans ttftfai nilfffir have
been Ntff a. fHfa fhN ran11lG 20 fnrh
aB Hfi hf iha isfislafnft. bH Niihnas
fHffrts nili nsi fior A. frnniiHa ihs
81 tht etmiinaflta p flftsutlsasts
which Ne Hefvft 40 defeat pfimefy
lsrisla iioh Do thla Territory hs ! desire
fe BE- imprfsnnnl cannot fafrain
from saying, however,, that ] was much
surpfit1d at The position taken by a
prominent member Of tho civic fedeF.
alton % . hearing before a legislative
COMMITTEES whom q direct primary bin
was under consideration during tho
last secession OF the legislature. Tho civic
federation, % u we'll known, had made
several attempts 70 break down party
lines through a system Of alleged non.
partiznn endorsements followed BY an
appeal to che people 10 vote for the
candidates recommended irrespective OF
party. The gentleman referred TO op.
posed the passage Of the bill on the
ground, ne he stated, that Il would
tend 70 weaken the regular party or.
ganizatiOnsl
Must Have support.
The bost possible law will fan short
Of accomplishing desired results unless
it has the hearty cooperation aud active
support Of capable and responsible
citizenship. A healthy public. opinion
is far more effective power for good
than the mere writing Of n law upon
tho statute books. 1t is possible, In a
given community, for better condi.
tion of affairs to exist without any
primary legislation than in another
community which does have such
law. 1t depends upon the community.
No system Of popular government can
be successful or satisfactory unless the
more intelligent citizens take an active
unselfish interest in public affairs, and
are willing to bear their respective
shares Of the work which is inseparably
incident to the maintenance Of an
honest and efficient administration Of
what, in fact, is their own as we'll as
their fellow-citizens business. As long
as those who have a substantial stake
in the community remain apathetic,
and hold aloof from the performance of
what is a plain duty, both to them
selves and to their neighbors, just SO
long win politics be liable to be in.
fluencod or controlled by those who
delve in to get what they can out Of
( it; and just so long will they be like.
" to find themselves represented, and
the public business done, by proper
ton, at least, of persons with special
axes to grind and selfish ends to ac-
complish. Speaker Champ Clark, a sea.
soned politician, in a recent address,
said, "Let men of business and sub.
stance take a hand in the game Let
them organize not for pelf but good
government Let them give q little
time to the public interests, and all in
terests, public and private, would be
improved. Men who desire honest gov
eminent are largely in the majority and
have only to bestir themselves to defeat
both the hoodlums and the men who
1 employ hoodlums to compass private
schemes at public expense.
Hawaii's Problem.
There is being attempted in this
Territory the difficult task-some would
consider it a dangerous and impossible
one-of trying to assimilate on common
/ ground and an even footing, under the
broad banner of equal liberty, people
of several widely divergent races. This
fact adds TO the burden Of the more
intelligent people of the community and
increases the responsibility of those
who by heritage or education are fitted
to assume such a task and competent
to deal with the resulting obligation
To shirk this responsibility is to en-
danger the very existence OF self
government and to invite form OF
arbitrary rule under which the govern
ed would have little or no voice or in
fluence The enactment of a primary
law would be step of practical ma
ture and in the right direction in con