Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 300, 13 ʻOkakopa 1891 — Decentralization of Power. [ARTICLE]

Decentralization of Power.

One of the reasons or excuses given by the Lēaguers or Reforra i Party for the course they parsued |in creating a revolution in 1887, was that the Chief Executive- and his government held too mueh power and couti*olled untimited patronage; and that the power and patronage wereunduly andarbitrarily exereised. This featuro of the form of our government was in existence at that time noone ean deny. and was derived from an old inherent fendal right, whieh had not been discarded when the change took plaee froDa the old to Ihe progressive or enlightened forty of government whieh suoerceded it, under the direction of the missionaries. This right remamed and was always claimed by thß Kamehame- i has, and only used manimperative manner by the fifth sovereign of that dynasty. It was done by him, j howev*er, under the advisement of | his ministers, it being claimed by !thetn for him, that he, the power I thatrdreated the government, could recreate under the same authority; disclaiming against the voice of opposition that the act was wiihin the scope of his inherent rights and that h« felt jusUfied in doing what he did, i. e., to make a new constitution, the Legislature haviug failed to acqaiese in a few unimportant changes whieh he had intimated was hecessary in order for him to take the oaih' of olliee under a constitution.

With the extinction of the Kamehameha ralore, -a new 'line of sovereigns eame into existenee. They were the creation of the People, anil datcd with the ekction of Prince Lunalilo, a branch of the Kamehaiueha family, and on his death shortly after v by the eleehon of a new Btis|), in the person ui Pnnee Kalakuua. Thus it was thut the o!d order of authorit v had heeouu' gradunily extinct, and any undue ex*rci3e ot it kef-nly folt ar»<t inaiio-use u i\ v r t ho pur)>uso c»f creatii)g a rv!V('hitivni.-pro>uptiy undortak(M» bv tho agaiui«i what t'] n v dcen>ed a us«rpation,

and by the claefies ior thei/, owii gratificatior fbr power, and for the cpntrol of the country: Thē Bpirit of the revolution, was based upoa and consistetft with th<£ advan<»dvand most cdifect viewfe of governmeni,~the righis of goVernmental powerfe and the governed. It was a notorious fact, that under the advice of the ad&iimgtration, the Chief ExecutiVe was riotous in i the exercise of his rights and priI vileges, using patronage and pressure againfit the free will of tfa§ Ipeople at the polls. Thege acts and the continued irregularities on the pajt uf the Kiog &nd his govi ernraent lead to the revoiutipn of 1887, and the thrustihg of a new' constkution upon the people ha,stilv concocted by a few of the leaderg at the head of that movement. One qt %he maiu objects against whieh this movemēnt was directed, was the decentralizing of power. Its war cry was no more Csesarism; it was to be a government of the Peop?e, for the People and by the People. The present Coustitution was drawn up to meet this difficulty, and to prevent the soveign from ever attempting any aetion contrary to the ēxpress wiil of the people. This idea was the mainspring that gave momentum to the 1887 movement, aqd obtained the support of thepeop!e without whieh it would not have been attemptt?d.

In the last election caaipaign the ReCorm Party made .a great deaT of political talk ori this one prineiple, the decentralizing of power. The Natiooal Party theirVppouents were agreed w.ith them on this point. Now the Nationalista, are again in the field, with no nncertain sound in iyfereuce to the decentralizing of L T nder the heaelings of ' k Jud&iasy Reform" "Puhlie Servaots," "Loeal - Self Government," and "Electoral Rights,' the people 7 s party, have boldly declared their adherence to this principle t takirig a step further in advance thau in the past, bv ,idvocatmg the electio» of all officere, except the spvereign,wlu> iiow to & certain extent elective. , (To be;Cpntinued).