Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 129, 2 Iune 1894 — ONE OPINION. [ARTICLE]

ONE OPINION.

c. w Ashford Expresses His Views, i 1 A HoLO*rA representative this < morumg askeil Mr. if he had seea the dr«ft of a eon- < stitatioa submitted by the p. g- I to Ihe convention: l’ •'I bave glanced it over very borr>edly tbis tnorning,’' w»s the 1 reply j 1 “Wbat do yoa tl*ink of it' ’ was tbe next question. “It requires but a gUnce at its crazv provisinns to stamp it as tbe iankest, rottenest ilocn!i;ent 1 of the kiud ever issu d fr «m tlie : pres-,” was the auswer. Lntever of good it c<*ul.tiits * i is copied verl>Mtim frf'n> the e ’Ul stitution 1887. lt propounds uo uew principle of libertj’, bot ex tinguishes iu;»u} of the guaraiitees ‘ of libertv to life, lil>ertv and pro1 perty previously exist?ng. In fact, not one of the elemental ; priuc ples of tbe liberty of the citizens. as nsually expressed in the Bill of II ghts witb whieh all e nstitotions make tbeir bow, is left iu full force,and utiimpairi ed bv the present screed. Not oue } ! of tbe guar»ntoes by whieh tlie * ' r gbts and liberties of the poople were surr>nnded under the detestI od monarchy, bnt has been eitlier ' oompletely extiiiguished. or so * emascuiated as to render it im0 poteiit for tbeir prntection.us was no dnubt intended by tbo framers l * » j of tbe j>resent instiument. Tbere i is no guarautv of the rigbt of ' ! trial by jury, except ni cases of II felony. What is to prevent the * legislatnre from e\pungiug the 1 word ‘felony” froui the code? I ' Free speech is forb dden, and the { press is gagged, except in adb vocacy of certain prescnbed lines of government; and others of tbe fnndamental privilegesof the citizeu are either absolutely exting0 aisbed or so lim ted and c»>ndi- * tioned as to be value!es.s for tbe * protcction of persoual aud prop perty rights. The right of franY cbise, as provided, is perbaps the s 1 worst sample of a polilieal abor1 tion evor i>erformed, or songlit t<> be p«>rformeJ, upon tbe b<>dy polia tic. Tlierigbtsof and ’ Cabiuet, aiul of tbe Alvisorv * Oonneil (responsible to nobody) are uuexamj>led and prepostere ous. Tbere is no provision for * the ratification or other adoption of tho instruraent either by the s people or au\' other body of men or women. r Tho document from alpha to f omega (to borrow a scriptural ? simile) is full of wounds and * bruises, and putnfving sores. It » is rank, aud smells to Heavens.lt e is drafted with the most obvions * purpose of placing the Missionary r i Family Compict in the saddle, i * tviug tbem in. and rendering it 1 impossible for tbem to be dislodg r ed. On tbo wbole it apj>ears to : ‘ have beeu udopted while its 3 framers were sufiering from a fit y of poiitieal “jim jams,’’ but it is 1 a most Ciodlike instrnment in tbe particular, tbat it is uulike nny- , 1 I tbing else in tbe beavens above, * i or tlie eartb beneatb.” 1 , “You will excose me uow, I am 1 j in a bnrrv and most go to Conrt. * : At greater leisnre 1 wdl have * j something more to say.” r I