Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-09-23
THE "CIIIzENS' TICKET"

The so-caIed citizens ticket" is destined for
quick and inglorious death, and under the cir
cilmstances which surround it's interjection into
the fall campaign, speedy demise is both log
zeal and fitting ~v.~s.s-. rH@..
Promoted in secrecy, launched in mystery
and kept under the shadow Of political illegiti-
macy, this citizens ticket is anything hut what
its name indicates 1t is born into the world
with all the birtIlmarks of being the creation of
disappointed ambition. Its makeup is not only
lacking in strength, but chosen with such short
sighted lack of consultation with the men
named thereon that at the outset the child has
repudiated its father, whoever that enterprising
individual may be -
The TAR-BUIIETIN is a believer in bong fide
citizens movements, but this is not one of them.
This paper believes that the will of the people
should at all times be paramount to the willtof
the politicians, but this ticket is not an express
sionof the will of the people
Were the movement backed by those Repub-
licans who we're swept aside at the county con-
yention by the combination that ruled it, the
STAR tLLErIN would find some, merit in the
contention that they have right to go before
the people and settle the question of their popu-
Lar standing. But one after another the nren
mentioned on the citizens ticket as candidates
have declined to run Their names have been
used without their consent, without any consul
tation by this shadowy aCommittee of Fifty.
The gentlemen who lurk in the dark and frame
up states at the expense Of responsible men
whose wishes are not first consulted, cannot ex.
pect to carry much weight in the. iudemen Of
voters
This paper does not find any necessity for
commenting ON the individual makeup OF the
.citizens ticket because, in the first place, the
ticket has already been fepudiated by nearly
everyone on it, and, in the second place, some
good men are mentioned who would be desirable
on any ticket It is grossly unfair to them that
they should be placed in such an unpleasant po-
sition ais the alleged COMMITTEE of Fifty" has
placed them But as a whole the ticket is
weak; it is not EXCITING ticket; It is not q
representative ticket unless it is representative
of the ideas OF few jaundieed office-seekefs
who failed to win nominations
The danger Of even recognizing such move
nent is that it plays directly into the hands OF
the Democratic party, and plays the political
game for Democracy.
The STARBUILETIN has every respect for the
average citizen in politics and every desire that
Honolulu politics be controlled by all the peo
pie But it must be recognized here and now
that strength OF. purpose and demand for clean
politics will fail, and fail ridiculously, unless
backed by general demand and open. popular
support. 49,
The thing to do, if men of Honolulu are dis
satisfied with the results of last weeks conyen
$ ton and with the system that made those results
possible, is to see that the Republican party is
elected on its platform of a direct primary, and
to hold the Legislators responsible, day by day
and hour by hour, for the fulfilment of Their
pledge to pass the direct primary law.