Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 126, 30 May 1894 — President DOLE'S Speech. [ARTICLE]

President DOLE'S Speech.

The Constitutional Convention Opens. 1*0 \rlLI.O«S ANll HF.I.EfiAT 9, M.-ml.**rs of tiie C<m»titutionaI (,’onventiou of 18f>4. "In eallinp the C r> nvention to or-i**r, I ask your attr?ntion to sooie niiiUen» reiating to the work f> r whieh you have eome togt*ther. “Tiie delay »h eh the |-roject of |K)litic»l Uuion betweeu Hawaii au.l the Unite<l St.«tes of America hi<6 e\j er!UCed, ha8 brought up tiie <jiu*sti<m of modifying tbe l>ieseiit systein in order to g-ve the (Joverriinent a j-eriDHoent fonn and to more fully introduce the ptinciple of rej>re sentation by the people. “The snbject lias been carefully consniered both from the st <nd |.omt of the resj)ormibility of the hxccotive and Advisory Council8, hiu) t!iat of ilie rights of the poople «ud the nec< ssitirs of the case; aii 1 while such a change is iinj>er.itivc!y denmuded by an intel :igent jiublic sontiment. it uls<) aji|)ears con30uant wilh our situiitn.ii, whiek is naturally fav irable to tho growth of l’ree institoiions. *‘Tlns being conceded it heeame necessarv to decide wbether to leaeii thedesired resultby t.ikmg tlie |)rt*seiit systeui -<s a b.isis aud building upou th«t, by \vholiy re< rgam/.i .g the Clovernuient “The latter iuethod wns «dopt ed us givmg more fre<doin of a<*ti<ni uinl a better opportunity for establishing a systo n suit* d to nalioual <*onditions. “ 1he <juestion of the eoinpoaition of tlie couvention to be callbd for tniikiug ii uew coustitution w.(S a j>erjilexiug one; for wliile it was <lesir<d to havo direct poj)ular n j>reseutation toasgreat an extent «s mig!it be possible, the councils felt th.it they eouhi u.it, consisteutlv «vith tlie trust imposed upon tkein by the j>roeliiuialiou of Junuary 17th 1893, reiiii<juish to her bauds tbe ' whole rt*sponsibility iu an enterj)rise so vital to tbe future weifare of tlie conutry. It was tharefore decided to conlide the the w rk to a b >dy made uj> of j tlio eoune ls .iud eleclo<l dele- j gates. i neol hardly remind you <>f ' tlio difliculf aiul dolicate charact- j er of tlie daty whioh the couveu- j tiou isc.lled npou to perform. j The iuonarchv, after a period of : decadence wlueh was tbreateniug ( «nd prejudicial to all public aud privato iuter< sts, eame to a i log:cal end. through its own plot ! to turu b ek ihe moveiBent of public j<rogtv>s aiui to subjugate all natiouai <*i.ergies aml nspiration> in the interests of <le'po* j

tism Tliis oonferr»Hl npon tbnt portiou «*f tbe ooiutuunitv who were in 8yrapathy with the )K>liticMld«'ve)opraent of the !State. hii orgaui/.Htion, both the right au«r tlie dnty to intercept the threateueil retrogra»le raoveaieut: for no part of a nation whieh has nuule prv.>gress m civilizMtiou has a right to »lrag the otber part back to barbNrisra; and no ruler has tbe right to iuitiate snch a relnpse rely»ng upon the iudirier euoe or waut of politioai seuse of a |H>rtion of the population. Those who submit without protest to such a schetue thercbv confe<»s tbeir inabiiity to aoeompliah or . defeud their owu civilization and surrender the task to those who j are williug to do it for thera. There is. therefore in tbe as- ! samptiou of |x>wer īu such a crisis by those who wou!d protect and foster the civīl progress of the slate, uc violation of tbe rights of those conspiring agaiust aueh progre>s, or of those who j may coutemplate such conspiraev witb helpless iudilference, because uuable to uuderstaud the |

Bfagiiiinde of the injary with , whieh they are threatened. Tfce Provīsional Government tiins springing from the ruir.s of tbo Monarchy faas administered puhlie afTair» untiil the time bas now eome to re-«djust tbe civil ■ 8ystem opon more representative linea. The work of making a constitotion f<-r tbegovernment of thcse islan ls upon a rt*public.in basis is beset with perpiexmg questicns whieh r< quire for their soIution a I«rge degree of patriotism, wisdom, industry and cour »ge. Toexpres- in a constitution and 1 tws tbe politic«l ideas of a people with a eommon origin, eomm- n religion aud eniuuion j'-ur posr-is an e.tsy t isk iu coraj)ar-i-,oa with th.it o« formuUting a system for the governm<-nt of mixed nces witliout a eonimon origiu, reiigiou or porpose. “1 believe, bowever, that we may achieve suceess iu our undert»king if there is secured t<v all comiog under such fuudamental rule a system of impartial justi<*e and wiso «dministration, aml iheie be established iu the n iuds of those who may be, froni the .,*xigeiicies of the situatiou. excltded from participation iu the governnient, a sentiraeiit of contidence in the integr ty of t!ie ru!ers. “The final tost of the work whie i we are eompelleil to take j up b the r**volt of the <leposed Qaeen against tho organic law wheneo eame her sole autbority, will be inea>ured iu the n inds of those who ;<re watchingit, by our success in holding j)ower without abusing it, aml iu «dministerinz government for the bencfit of tlie inany by the authority of those wliose exereise of j)olitieal jv>wer is based opon caj)acity to <liscbarge polilieal duty. “Allbough the establisliment of a lundamental law whieh shall i | as ft> a> | o-sible, proride forthe safe and j)ermauent administra tion of attairs upon tlie j)rinciples of a ■ej)ablican form of goveru- , ment will be the j)<rainonnt ob- ! joct of your deliber.<tions, tbe original purj>oseof the Provision* al Govemment to negotiate a treaty of j)olitical union with tho great and friondiy naiion that lies nearest to ns. must, I respectful’ Iy su : )mit, be as fully recoguized by you as a vital j»olicy of the 1 uew republic as it has been of tho Provisioual Government ‘T wou!d nrgeuj)onyoar atten- j tion the accept«d view that tbe ( franc iiso is a duty or function of citizenshipconferred by lhestate, ' rathe; llian a riglit Aml it isadnty i whiel; mayonly be j)erforme<l with advai t.»ge to the state by those who i.re iuental)y qualified for its respousible <lecisions, as none but t:ie nble-bodied citizen m«y serve his oountrv to advantage ou the 1 :ttielield. It is onlv as a means of aj>prox : mately anriving at a reasonabie at«ndard of ment: 1 quaiificatioos that the requirement of proj)erty qnal-fioa-tious s legitimate. Such a metbod | thongii iraj)erfert aud in sorae j cases harsh to the individnal, is vet in the main an etfective allv • j t<> the tuore direct etfort to roacb j tlie >ame result through educational qualificatii)Qs, whieh in practīce is raore <lifiicult of applieaiion.

“ TLe question whether the fran chise sbould be liiuite»l tocitizons ; of the republic will (lemanil your serious consideratioa in view o tlie accepted practice of other civilizs»l uat ous. and the danger of ailowiug those. uot under the obligations of citizenship and owiug fealty to jx>ssible bosti!e goven ments, to esercise this J irapor ant function * The jx*wers whieh tbeconstitution shonld confer upt*n the Presiv'ent is a subject whieh ca!ls | for caiefu) study on yonr part m order “hat tbe office raay not be allowei to heeome a menaee to civil liberty irom having too mueh «Qthority on the one hand. j and that it may not degenerate iuto a nseless featnre from having too little on the other. “Tfae qnestioo alao whether the i President shonld be eiigible for > eleelion to the presidential term I snccee»iing bis owu iucumbency | will require exam ; nation iu view of tbe temi tation to the prostita- f iion of tbe anthority and official patronage be)onging to the office whieh snch e!igibility oreates. *‘TLe uusatisfactorv experieuce 1 • i

of tbe coantry with a *l,.ture coiopo3ed of one House iu,*.k-* it ira{>erutiTe for you to inrest!g-.te ■ tbe comparative advantnge$ »nd dūoidv*nt»ges of *och a lepiālature aud of one m<«de np of two , bouses. “Measores and conditions f r the protection of tbe leg slatnre from corrnpt inllaeneei» orig nating eitber in the zeal of political p«rties or of t ! e int rests of private enterprise, are iropnrtint results to be sought m yonr deliberation. “īh* Execntive Conncil has given mneh time and study to the VHrious j>rol»lems ra sed bv the project nf re-<irg »nizing the Ciovernment on a republ’.c u busis. in this work, we luive be«n favore-.l wilh the valuabie assistanee of a nmnher of g.>atlemen who, have kiadlv cons uted to iueet with us, nnd, who i .ve fieely coutributed th< ir t me aud thongiit to this objcet. While theie has nnlunlK' he. n some ditiereuce of opiui ns ieganiing the m:itteis uuder discuvsion, the concIusi<»u8 finally arriv*-1 at have been formulated into atext whieh may aid theConvention iu its \v< rk. aud whieh is ai its disposaI. Fully recoguiziug the i uthority of the Couveutiou under the act creatiug it to form a C<»n.stitution, I have deemed it des rable to ado|>t tbis method of assisting it. “In the exerci.se of yonr <lutyof laying the found<itior.s of our new civil system, I pray that yon will look far a\va\ from the passious aud reseutments that m»iy bave gro\va. out of late poiitical events aud build f<>r the future aud for the \velfar« and jnst pro tection of tiie who e commnnitv regardless of prtseut iuditfer- | ences. “Wliile I recognize the aid whieh a spirit of eompiomiae iu uuesseutiil issiies brings to a work of tiiis kiml, l m-ge you to , inake no concessiou of jiriuciple to a dread of \vhat others may siv. The transceiident duty is npon you. aud the tiuished work whieh comes from your haiids will be your jnstitication or a \vitness agaiust you. “Permit rae in closing to quote the words of Washington, iu the Convention of whieh he \vas a meraber, whieh franied tl.e C<>n—i stitutiou of tiie I'nite 1 States of Ameiiea, when the fear of puhiie opinion began to hituler the wor< Ke sai1, * 1 f to p'ease the people, we otl'er wb t we, our — selves disapprove. how c:n we, i afterward defend onr \vork ? Let , us raise a standard t» whieh the \vise and honest ean rep :ir; the event is in the liaml of (Jod.’ ”