Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-06
POLITICAL BATTLES
ARE HOT IN HAWAII
More Than 80 Per Cent Find
Time to Vote and Pep Is
Always Displayed.
BY ROBERT T. SMALL.
.acial nfsnatch 10 The Star,


Special Dispatch to The Star.
HONOLULU. March 5.--When the
Constitution followed the fieg into this
far.fiung outpost Of the Paciffc, II
didn't leave American politics far be-
hind. The polyglot population of
Hawaii can give the people of the
American mainland helpful lesson
in civic responsibility as represented
by the ballot. Whereas on the main
land less than SO per cent OF the quail
fed voters ever go to the polls, OUT
here the percentage OF the voters is
somewhere in the ninettes.
Hawaiians never tire OF voting. This
does not mean they are ''repeaters.
but when one election is over it Is
difficult for them to RESTRAIN them
selves until another is due.
Campaigns here flame with all the
color of the tropics. but they are
fought out on the good, old political
issues that have been handed down
since the days when Jefferson and
Hamilton were at the head OF the
two great parties.
A political campaign in Hawa1l
means much free entertainment. and
the rallies attract enormous crowds.
There are singers and hula dancers
and 'luaus," meaning a sort OF
Hawaiian barbecue.
Candidates for Congress on the
mainland could learn great deal by
visiting these paradise isles. cam
paisnnig in most sections Of the
United States is cold and callous com
pared to the hot stuff which takes
place on the Hawaiian battle or bal
lot field.
Have Pep To Spare.
It long has been apparent that po-
Htical meetings on the mainland need
something to pep them up. Out here
there is pepper to spare. People In
the States are tired of the old bally-
hoo. If they listen to a campaign
orator at all, they sit at home and
turn on the radio. But If Senator
Sorghum or Congressman CorntaSSel
could only bring over a. campaign
combination from Hawaii, elections
on the mainland would be decided
much as they are here, in favor of
the candidate who put on the better
SHOW.
Under the surface of the big noise
and the wall of the steel guitar, the
drumming Of the ukulele and the
noisy acclaim Of the dancers of the
waving hips, the old political battle
CITES 6IC " 10 ACdIu 5OOA4OA Vi AabCl.
Hawaii Is to be represented in the
next Congress by Republican dele
gate, who won his place in the Ma
tional House of Representatives as an
advocate of the high tariff system.
The new delegate is Capt. Victor K.
Houston, a retired naval officer who
makes his home here. Capt. Houston
pounded on the tariff until his Demo
cratic opponent, Mr.. jarrett, seeking
reelection. was crushed in defeat. Mr..
jarrett said he, too, favored a high
tariff personally, but politically he
would have to be governed by the
national views of his party.
Inasmuch as sugar is the main
stay of the Hawaiian Islands and
has lifted them from poverty to
place in the shining sun of pros
perity, and inasmuch as sugar Is
constant target of Democratic anti
tariff agitation, Capt. Houston rode
10 victory in the last election with all
the ease and grace of a native boy
gliding over the breakers Of Waikiki
on surf board.
Sense of Responsibility.
OF course, the delegate from Hawaii
has no vote in the National Congress,
but this small and unimportant de-
tail has no bearing whatsoever on
the result of the campaign. The is
sues were there and the voters went
TO the polls feeling their sense of
deepest responsibility. In very few
States has an isolated congressional
election turned more thoroughly on
national issues.
The whole of the islands, however,
seem to have gone Republican. Gov.
Wallace harrington. serving his Sec
ond term under appointment from
President Coolidge, naturally is Re-
publican. All the other appointive
Federal officers of the islands are
Republicans and, for the first time in
the history of Honolulu, the munich
pal government is under full control
of the members of the g. 0. P. There
were 1l9 candidates for rs offices in
the last campaign, so it can readily
be seen how popular the game Of
politics is In these supposedly languid
tropics.
Political observers recently have
been watching with considerable anx
iety the growth of what Is called
the Oriental bloc" here in the islands.
through which both Japanese and
Chinese are being elected to office.
Ordinarily the Chinese and Japanese
do not mix we'll, but as politics always
has made strange bed fellows, one
finds that condition here as elsewhere.