The Hawaiian gazette., 1911-03-10
JOHN HUGHES ON
DIRECT PRIMARY


Editor Advertiser;-I read with a
great deal of pleasure your editorial
in this mornings Advertiser anent the
direct primary To me your arguments
in favor of it are as sound, logical and
convincing as your criticisms of those
who oppose it are temperate and mild.
That a primary law is an almost inn
perative necessity, if we want clean
politics and government by the people,
is known to every man who takes an
active, unsel6sh interest in political
affairs.
The writer, either as a delegate or a
candidate, has taken part in every Re-
publican convention that has been held
in this city since annexation, and hence
is in a position to state that trickery
and logrolling predominated in all of
them. Seventy-five per cent of the
delegates attending conventions are
merely pawns on the political chess
board, and as for the average independ-
emit intelligene voter, he has no more
to say as to who shall or who shall not
be nominated than an African Hotten-
tot. Under our present system he is
deprived of his common rights by the
glamour of power and subserviency of
political tools.
The adoption of primary laws all
over these United States and their ad-
vocacy by the brightest, best and ablest
of our public men, whilst their oppo-
nents, with few notable exceptions, are
to be found only amongst those who
derive place and power from the pres
emit political system, should be to all
convincing proof of their worth and
utility.
The supporters of primary law do
not claim that it is a panacea for all
the ills of the body polite, nor do they
claim that it is perfect, any more than
that any other law is not perfect, but
they do claim that it rs progressive
measure, vast improvement over our
present boss caucus and convention
system, and that it is in harmony with
the times.
Under a primary law we will have real
government by the people, and not by
the few. We viii have the substance,
not the shadow. Under primary law
the boss and his minions retire to the
political scrapheap, and the patriotic
citizen, whose only aim is his country g
Iwelfare, comes to his own.
A primary law takes politics out of
1.-THE slums and darkness, and places it
in the sunlight.
Three times the Republican party in
corporated in its platform a primary
Jaw, and three times the candidates Of
| that party raised their right arms, and
without hesitation, evasion or reserva.
tion, pledged themselves to support it,
and yet again there seems hesitaney
amongst some members--a desire, per
haps, to postpone which has ten
dency to leave the impression that some
in their eagerness to serve the people
forgot to study the platform.
Archer 5 county bill, the direct pri
mary and bill placing the police force
under civil service rules are measures
that, according to my lights, deserve
and should have the support OF every
man who stands for progress and clear
politics.
Areher's bill. believe, is not onl,
| founded on sound business principles
, but, what Is perhaps of equal If MOI
} greater Importance, finder 1t the PEG
| Die rnle.ls A majority of the voter
elects the supervisors, and majorit,
| Of the supervisors transaets the people I
] business. If this is not real representa-
: tive government, what Isl
The contention that Areher's bill
without the initiative. referendum ani
recall. would complieate and max
political conditions worse instead o
better, Is simply Q snrmise
The Initiative aud referendum vii
come n due time. when there Is d DC
!. ] maud Ia them which Is uat uane
to the Teeall. j question its utility nos
+. o. n the future. with . good rFimaFl
! law. having complete knowledge Of 81
Z character and eanabililg ~ asrimnt
!. ~ aalfe. Il saaid a2em almQaf lfHrn.
; aiIle for uuaorlhr men - hs eletiea.
: TIE recall HeHla oaan fhe 8aef r.
r BE- HAnY atnses r. she tnif nellils 4
4 anT Hose aishfae iaes A. 3 seflsl ~.
4oHN H1nHf