Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 341, 9 December 1891 — Platform of Principle OF THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY. [ARTICLE]

Platform of Principle OF THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY.

INDEPENDEXCK 0F THE COUfcTRY PRINCIPLE OF GOVEKNMENT AND

CONBjriTUTION. 1. We <ieem |tliat all Governm<;nt should be founded 011 the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity ; we hold that all men are born free and equal before t,he law aind are end<>wed wit]i! inalienable rightjs to life 3 to liberty, to \ propertp, to the pursuit of happiness 1 and to self-protebtion again?t arbitrary coneentration of power, irresponsible wealth, and unfair competition. Webelieve that just gpvernment exists only by the consent of the People. and th"at, when it beeomes|necessary īor t.he pu!> lie welfare, they may abohsh existiiig forms and establ|ish more advanta»eous and equitable system; and, as tlie present Constitutiori of the Hawaiian King-.. dom never has the approval of the People, but was establisded bv intimidation and fraud for the benefit of * certain class, tl|erefore. we favsr the adoption of a new and more libenil Conetitution, to truly se(Mire a Government <>/ the People, 7>;/ the People and for the People. JI7DICIAEY REFORMB 2. Out of consideration for the inherent rights and prestnt opinions of the native popnlation, we dersire to retein the indei»eiidenee of the Country and defend its autonomy, u nder a liberal and popular form of goverißment; biitour Treatiea with Foreign Powers, and especialfy with tlie Unifccd - Stat.es ■ of America, should be revij?ed, so as to betfer meet piesent and to obtain more equitable advant;iges in exchange of those grānted by us. :i. Oi\r ,J miiciarv system and Code oi Procedure must be submitte<l to a tliorough revision. s[o as to secure aeheap and prompt administratioii of justice free of all sectarian jor patisan spirit, nd to render the J udges more directly regponsible to the People; and we are in mvor of a more |liberal interpretation of Coiistitutional gtiarantees of tlie freedom of speech and tne press. TAXATION 4. A moie jus t and perfect system of Taxation mnst i>e inaugurated, to abe. lish the present inequalities, by whieh the property ®f the poor is oxcessively taxetl, wliile miieh of the rich man's goode are uwier-vulued for assessmunt or entiiely tasation; we sha!l therelore demaud the passiuro oi laws Uiat will moro offectnally suhject the pro{>orty of cor|>oratkiis and rich citizens to their just proportion of puhlie burdens, while arranting more liberal exemptioiib to t'ie }x»or; and as a meaus of discouraglng the !ocki»g up ot large oi' Hiionltiv»tod hvnds, a dirten»Htial tax should levietl in addition to tho UNiial on valuat.ion,which «houUl l)e in proi>ortion to the tertihtv ol the ,soil. We si»all also favor tU* establislmient of a graduated income-(ax, and thus expeet to obtain amplo l'uiuki for oonductiiig the government and attendiwg t# all necessj»ry puhlie improv*ments without any further cal!s on tl»t» masses. MONOPOUES 5. We shall u«e our effbrts to obtain laws bV whieh *U favoritism in go*»ernment and a); monopolies, trust« and privileges to 4peeial elasses shall be rendemi impos*ible, bv full, defmite and mamlatorv »»tatutes," 6* Better shouki rt>gulate the Civil Service. The prindple of the eieetion oi oflicers of ihe government by the pe<»ple eUiould be e«tablisliml, and no man should be &llowed to hold more than one olHoe of pr»ifit» whilst »alarieB ehonM be atlaquaU> iH>aipeiiiBativMi for thee.rv.ee* r*mW*d. All aa9ho«Ki be re<liK«(l «u.l »11 lin*. euivs or offii>ee aboliehed.

PUBjLIC BEBVAHTB. LOCAL SELF-G< )YERNMENT 8. We de?ire a more llberal poiicy towards the Oifterent lpla'(ds of the Kingdom, out«ide of <>ahu; tht=v should receive a i:iirer pr<4)orhon uf the nnhiw. mo:nry« for the devt lopuinnī of their re-, ■.sour.ces aiul toe teof their ' In lu(. t, tbe prinriple of loeii' Self-gov€-rnmerit ehoukl be exteiided. \vhereby £ĪYin;z loealities tnay i'hoo?e 13iv most important of their Ioc:":l exeeutivt of!ieerf--, and levy taxes for the ]>urpesr 1 < al i)ui>rovements of a Dublic-«ature. PROTECTION T0 TF;E bABOURIXC - CLA .SSKf: 4 .9. We ?hall endorse ail nieaMin tending t.o imprdve the eondition of tht\vorking elaBsefi, and consequently, wii.ht)ut injuring any vested, rights, we wfl r advocate la\vs to prevent a'l furtLer importation or employment of eontraetlabor of any kind, uj>on condition> whieh \vill bring it into a rtvinous au<L degradifig eo»ipeUtion witli free Hawai ian or white labor. We phall also, n tlie interest of the better protection o the poor, as:k for more hberal exemptioii r of their property from foreed sale on ex - ocution, aud frorq seizure in bankruptcr proceedinars. SMALL FAKMrNG AXO lIO3IE ; STEADS. 10. The \vealthy fraetion of our popuia - l tion have hitherto prevented tlie developj ment of an indepēndent class of eitizents: ! the public lande have been acquired and have been tied up in a few hands or parcelled to suit favorites, and farn?ers and planter.s have been drivei ' out by eorporatiOns or combinatlons of capitalists: but as emall farming is eonducive tothe stabilitv of tlie State, iz should pe encouraged by a new au* more liberal llomestead act, by wheh the ownership of small tr3rts of lan« : and tlie settlement thereon of familie;of our present population,—andespeeial ; ly of the nativ6" lla\vaiians wlio have heen left almost homeless in thereeoun-try.-should be rendered poss«ble. Tr. j that end, the .Govermnent and C» owii j lands, { in so far as ean be done withouc ~invadīng vestediights ) should be devoted as> sooii as possible to homesteads. and eonferred upon bona-fide gettler?free of taxes for a limite<l penod. It sliould be tlie further aim of government to, at onee, so far improve tht means of transportf tion, —loeal, national and international, —as to provide, i»: all tiie districts, eheap »eans of eonv< ing the pr«dact of the soil to market. KLECTORAL EIIIGT. 11. We hold that nprightand hones,manhood, and not the po»<ession o. wealth, arbitrarilv fixed, sliould constithe right to vote for nobles as well a.i representatives. and no more jx>wer J shoul4 be accorded to the ballot of the | i'ieh man than to tlie ballot of th«i poor man. The discrimination isf iavo - j of wealth now ma<le in our Constitutioi: | i« contrary to all the eternal pnneīplo- | of right and justice 4 andmust lx> :ilK>lish- : ed. To this end, we \vdl favcr a l«n r! - j ing of the pres=ent <listinction of \waltl: , aml classes whieh blemish »Vir lawwith respect of the right to vote for nobles, thereby restoring to the natiw Hawaiians privile?es whieh pertain to them in tlieir owa country, and of whicl>. they have been unjustly dev>rive<l. LNTERNAL IMPROVEMENT^ 12 We favor Uie expenditure of suHi - cient sums to seoure a number of nmleū pnblic improvements on Oahu and other Islands; school, i*ailrosuls and harbori wharveB> publir light, an«l als*> a Uiorough syatom oi reeervoi rs an< 3 . \vater-works, not ouly for Honolulu, lnit tiirouffh-out the other I slauds.