Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-05-20
RISINESS AND POLITICS ARE
DISCUSSED BEFORE R0TARIANS


new charter and we might even
make ourselves feel that we could
get out and put one through, but we
would only be fooling ourselves, for
we couldn't put IL over unless public
sentiment was on our side. -.
Second Charter Planned. ..-. 49,
The commercial ana civic bodies
OF the city have recently appointed
their representatives TO frame anoth-
er city charter to be introduced in the
next legislature as an opposition bill
to the one that will come to the legis-
lature from the charter convention.
II is my belief that 80 per cent Of
the businessmen Of Honolulu would
vote lor the charter to be proposed
by the commercial and civic bodies
but do net forget when the time
comes that NJ matter how strongly
yon may favor it and work for it
among your own kind, you are not
getting next To the people that con-
troll the situation and it is the people
that WIN odt in the end on the
strength OF public opinion.
iniIuenee Not Strong. ~..~ ...
To my mind the business man in
Honolulu cuts 10 figaro in politics
for the reason that he can exert no
particular influence outside of his
own sphere. tie can get away with
small matters but in matters of i'm
portance he can 90 only SO far as the
predominant Race viii let him go.
Businessmen are, l. believe, highly
pleased with the recent action of the
county engineer in trying to get an
efficient force ir his department and
identified with politics have been ap-
pointed to responsible positions. The
are behind the county
engineer almost to man but yet 1t
is my firm belief that the city hall
system will have a can tied to Mr..
Collins before TIE next county cleo
ton and some one who can be used
by the politicians will fill the office.
The organizations in Honolulu
work up enthusiasm among them
selves along certain lines of thought
and then expect the masses to swal-
low 1t hook, line and sinker over
night.
prof. Young Of the University of
Pennsylvania writes as follows:
Long Campaigns Needed.
Political parties do not win great
ny q singh burst of enthust-
asm nor By a short campaign imme-
diatalY aefara election hut aa.@Ax
slow, persistent and steady work in
season and out of season and by the
perfection of a system which brings
the leaders into close personal touch
with every voter. Such a system is
not of mushroom growth, it must be
developed with the same patience, en-
ergy, skill and persistence that are
needed to build up any business ma
chine"
What Prof. Young says of political
parties is just as true when applied
to commercial and civic organizations
and IL the businessman wants his
vote to count he has got to conduct
an educational campaign of several
years duration and spread the gos-
pei Of good government among the
people who know nothing and care
less about good government
Who Will Take Lead.
Now We come to the point of who
is going to conduct the businessman s
campaign of education and who is
going to put up the vast sum of
money required am satisfied that
none of US here would tackle the job
nor would we give % our cash to
help such a movement
The one point that | have tried
tot present is that while the business
man has the brains and the ambition
to improve governmental conditions
he is helpless because, he does not get
his views before the masses and thus
work up public sentiment.
have every sympathy with the
predominant race and believe that
their failing, if it may be called a
failing, is from the wrong kind of in
fIuence that is exerted upon them,
by some of the white race, and some
of these white men may be picked
from among our business and pro-
fessional men.