Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 201, 26 Mei 1891 — COMPROMISES. [ARTICLE]

COMPROMISES.

[Written for the Leo.]

There is a rumer that two members of the present cabinet are goi»g to resign. Members of Hawaīian eabinets in the past have done almost everything in the criniinal code enumerated; but they have never resigned. If these gentlemen should conclude to immolate themselves on their country's altar, and so relieve us from the burden of an inconipetent and unpopulapgovernment, the act would be as unprecedented as it is commendable. The object einee the downfall of the Roform Cabinet has ostensibly been to secure independent men for the head of the dep%rtments. This is a mistake of the worst kind. There are very few honest, independent men in the country. who have at the same time the ability and t he experience of afTairs to fi ll acccutably a cabinet jpusition, Every inan of superior qualificaticns identifies hiniself wiih some principles and party to whieh he adheres. All nien of anv fitness for puhlie positian havc taken a part in politicB of the country and belong to one side or tne other. The socalled independent men who have been engaged in business or other pursuits are nentral as to polUieu becausw they h«ve never taken any interest in th*» affairs of thegovernment, or l>ecause thoy are uUerly

insigmficant. There in another class who pase as in<lependent; those who are in the poliiieai arena forspoils only, for the profit that there is in it. An untried raān may meet less ©pposition and appear more satisfactory at the outset, but whon he begins to show up he becomcs equallv offcnsivc to a 11 Tiiere are several classes of independents in tlie political arena, mostly fur spoi!s only. Since it is difficult to foretoll wh»ch party may eome uppermost, they maiutain a discreet sileneu eoncerning their standing; they are pledged to neither party, or faction; but privately and confidentially they assure eaeh- side alternately that they hav« their full symphathy and eternal devotion. Sotne of our politicians, especially legislators and ministers, are ®n some occasion ♦temporarily independent, until a good consideration converts i them. The capitalists, and the eoai mercial intercsts have long ruled in this country and their influence is likely iilways to be dominant. When they have been defeated in elections or otherwise they have always helped into position, weak men whom they have thereafler influenced. This wav of governing the country is unworthy of business men or of an enlightened community. The result is that the unwcrthy occupy the highest oflSces. But concessions have to be made to the native Hawaiians. It has always been necessary, and yearly the native supporied bv the laboring men of all nationalities are coming out strongei* and stronger We believe that the respectable and substantial element of the reform party are willing to give them some recognition, for the sake of peaee at home and our good fame abro:ad. But it is no bcnefit to the natives or workers to put iuto olHee weak specimens of the race who are a ■disgraoe to their people. On the other band the really able and sincere īeadcrs of thc nativc party, Wilcox, Nawahi and Bush, are Uie hereditary cnemies of the eommercial interests. Because they are the steadfast leaders of the people they are hated by the k{ missionarics" that no effort is spared to crush thenv while men and papers are bolstered up to try to iead the natives— astray. It is time to recognize the: fact, people cannot be led by de--ma|0guc3 or agttators unless they are' gc.ihpj that way anyway. A man to be a ieader must be a man of som« ability and nmst look after the pcople's interests as welli as his own. Tn the same way the nkuieof Thurston was odious to all the eommon and resnectable elements of tho national party. Still Thurston was a leader of the refWm, a gentieman of ability and principle. We have made tho most of his mistakes and blunders, though none of them were of a criminal natnre; b«t we 8incerely must adiuit that the country would have been hetter off wiUi hiin as Minist'er of Interior« than it since has been. l)amon was and is one of the verv best men |br the hnanee department, But they, with their two eolleagues were deater33itned. that the native» should have no show all in the of the govermnent % con8equently they had to step d<prn »

Now ifthere were a real (iesire to let the native people be repr« - sented in the cabinet of their eountry, and reach son»ething like u compromise or modits riveruU r it wouid be a better plan to put one or two renresentative men in the cabinet whom tlie people know and have confidence .in, and let the reform take tuu rest. £ach ministcr wou!d be supreme in his own df>partment and if they could not agree the result would be, what.it is naw, maction, till the n;-xt' legislature ■ meet to decide heiween them. With representative mou of both p;irties in the cābinet any serious corruption would be impossible; thev would \ratch eaeh other. With the deitartments of interior and finance the reform could rest assured that the coui>try would not go to the bow-wows. In attorney-gene-rals departraenis onlv a few sheriflfs deputies could be changed; the poliee are already all natives In the &reign no serious damage eoulu ue done without the consent of the whole cabi:«et. The next time Liliuokalani makes a cabinet let her seriously consider the proposition to give both sides a show.