Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 174, 17 April 1891 — Party Government. [ARTICLE]

Party Government.

It'was an error of the revoluUonists of 1887, that in th«r reformation of the Constitution, they did not more cornpletely remodel the system under whieh the Cabinet Ministers hold power. The 'present system is decidedly faulty as haa been made glaringly apparent under the two last adnriinistrations. The Premier is so by courtesy only, and may be and has been utterly ignored by his eol leagues, whose selection and appointment were in no way eohtrolled bv hini. So, in fact, the constitution provides for any government, four indepehdent tyrants who knows no sovereign or party, and dare even to defy parliament between sessions. The puhlie must subinit to the caprice of four un- ( mtrolled men eaeh riding his own hobby unhindered even by any rule of majority in concerted nction. The intention of a eonetitution is to provide a government by a responsiblc cabinet viiinistry who are thc virtual jca<lerg of the Legislature tbat is Hupremo in all things. Such ie> the recognized pnneiple in the government of Gre?it Britain. In the time of William and Mary position of the ministers was exactly like that fif our mimsters under Kalakaua prior to 1887. The ministers were not servants of the Legislature or of the people, ~ but" the seni!e servahts of the Crown. It was to the King they .i looked for direction and to the King alone they held themselves responslble, Tbe eommons chafed under such a $tate of things and

their fickle temper was such that it drove William and hie ministers to despair till Sunderland had the sagacity to Buggest, and Wil- , liam tho wisdom to apply the remedy, the appointment of a cabinet representative of the majority of the popnlar chamber. This was the -firs.t step towards responsible cabiiiet government and the principle has been maintained ever since. Our constitution is defective in that it dues not provide that a new cabinet .ehall be selected from among the leaders of.the prevailing political party, for we have seen that no cabinet ean be successful that is not representative of the political party through whom they acquire power. The Thurston cabinet was a etrictly party one, but they were noruinated by a revolutionary caucus and tbrust opon the publie, and being a party of 'apoila they met with a natural reaction that took them down. But t]ie Brown—Cummms cabinet was tbe worst abortion that ever t©ok the reigns of power in Hawaii: They were not the Kings free selection; they represented no party or known principles or policy: They ignored and insulted the Naiional Party to whom they owed their elevation to office: and they apparently ccnstituted tbemselves an independent partv of four. who proposed to rule in defiance of.K:ng. party or puhiie opinion. By such conduct they rendered themselves odious to the people. and their downfal was a natural consequence. This career furnished the most apt illustration of the defect of our system of government.

Tbe present cabinet built more on party lines, but stili is not fairly representative and it reniains to be seen whether a future Legislature will approve of the Queen's selection. The poliiieal campaign of IBtfo was probably the fir»t in whieh party linea were distinctly and sharply j drawn and a fair struggle ma<sei iat the ballot box. Tlie people were : divided in tw@ strong parties with |their platforms, declarations, | mewBoapers and speeches, and both sides entered the. campaign with | energy and spirit. The national | party were successful: a majority of the people had expressed their will- that the policy and principles of that party should guide the administration of the government. If then we are to have popuJar government, why did th« cabinet ministers ignore the will of the i people ? Our system of government is directly akin to the British system, and sooner or later our sovereign must recognize as did Williain of England the political axiom that cabinet ministers m ust be s«lected from the leaders of the dominant pōliiieal |Party r and those ministers must also recognize the axiom that they must govern not at their whiir and caprice, but as the trusted servants of the body politic that gave tbem power ahd maintains them in it.