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

The SO-Calcd citizens ticket" is destined for
quick and inglorious death, and under the cir
culnstanees which surround it's interjection into
the fall campaign, a.speedy demise is both log
zeal and fitting. ...t..
Promoted in secrecy, launched in mystery
and kept under the shadow of political ilegiti-
macy, this citizens ticket is anything but what
its name indicates 1t is born into the, world
with all the birthmarks of being the creation of
disappointed ambition. It's 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.
TheSTAR- RULETIN is a believer, in bona 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 will of
the politicians, but this ticket is not an express
sion OF the will of the people.
Were the movement. backed by those Repnb-
licans who we're swept aside at the county con-
yention by the combination that ruled it, the
STAR.BULIETIN would find some merit in the
contention that they have a right to go before
the people and settle the question of their popu-
lar standing But one after another the men
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 sCommittee of Fifty
The gentlemen who Turk in the dark and frame
up states at the expense of responsible men
whose wishes are not first consulted, cannot ex.
rcet to carry much weight in the Judgment OF
voters
This paper does not find any necessity for
commenting on the individual makeup of the
sscitizens ticket because in the first place, the
ticket has already been repudiated by nearly
everyone on it, and, in the second place, some
good men are mentioned who would be desirable
on any ticket. 1t is grossly unfair to them that
they should be placed in such an unpleasant po-
sition as the alleged "Committee of Fifty" has
placed them But as a whole the ticket is
weak it is not yotegetting ticket; it is not a
representative ticket unless it is representative
of the ideas of few jaundiced office-seekers
who failed to win nominations
The danger of even recognizing such move
ment is that it plays directly into the hands OF
the Democratic party, and plays the political
game for Democracy.
1issc S'Siy ASNopSSo
average citizen in politics and every desire that
Honolulu politics be controlled by all the peo-
ple But it must be recognized here and now
that strength of purpose and a demand for clean
politics will fail, and fail ridiculously, unless
backed by general demand and open, popular
support.
The thing to do, if men of Honolulu are dis
satisfied with the results of last weeks conren,
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.
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