Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 386, 10 February 1892 — Page 4
| This text was transcribed by: | Pam Sinclair |
| This work is dedicated to: | Rolanda Mohala Reese |
KA LEO O KA LAHUI.
"E Mau ke Ea o ka Aina i ka Pono."
KA LEO.
John E. Bush. I una Hooponopono a me Puuku.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 10, 1892.
Peace and Harmony.
The Advertiser says that the election of C. W. Ashford, by the Hawaiian, is an endorsement by them of the revolution of 1837, by which property and wages, and not manhood rules the ballot-box. The editor of the Advertiser @ is, as we all know, a born comedian. He can shed tears at a wedding, or dance a break down on a grave, especially if it happens to be the grave of an enemy. Peace and harmony under a rule of injustice and oppresion may be looked for among a nation of slaves, not to freemen.
The victory of the sugar barons may bring joy to their heats, but they can rest assured that a cause which cannot be defended on any honest line of reasoning, will be productive of poor results to victors. In any treaty proposed with a foreign nation the people and not a few planters and their hirelings will be heard. The days of legerde main in treaty making are passed. If the people are by an unjust law shut out from legislative representation, they can still be heard from outside. The victors will find a skeleton in their closet when the people choose to lift the curtain.
The Constitution.
Like a sensitive devotion of a mother to her crippled offspring, is the fanatical attachment of those who risked their necks for treason in 1887, to the abortion which they then inflicted upon the country as a constitution. They close their eyes to its inequalities and amiguities and worship it with blind devotion, like the pagan does his idols, and become infuriated when some man of superior wisdom and experience dares to scoff at it.
The most objectionable feature of the constitution is the differential franchise which gives wealth such an enormous advantage over the individual and creates a class distinction which obliges the majority of the people to submit to the government of the wealthy minority – an utter perversion of every principle of government by the people, of the people and for the people.
It was this unjust inequality of the constitution, - that was admitted to have been created for the purpose of disfranchising the native, - that had agitated the minds of the Hawaiians, and caused them to form into a party and select leaders who would pledge themselves to try and secure a complete revision of the constitution and have it submitted to a plebicite of the people.
But the insensate stubbornness which sometimes actuates a community, caused the plutocratic class of foreigners in Honolulu to take advantage of their constitutional power and unite in a solid vote against the Liberal Party in order to defeat the natural and legitimate desire of the native Hawaiian to be restored to an equal @standing with the alien.
While the Liberal party had put forward a better platform and better men than the opposition they were defeated principally on account of their attitude on the constitutional question.
The constitutional revision is now an open issue, and the present antiquated, illiberal and unsatifactory document may remain in force for two years more. It now remains to be seen which party will make the best showing upon the other vital questions of the Treaty and coolie labor.
We have advocated a peaceful course for restoring the people their rights as human beings, as against the usurpation that stands as a blot upon the country through the revolutionary acts of missionary descendants, who were the organizers and the active leaders in overturning the legitimate law of the country. We have done all we can to direct the wishes of the Hawaiians for a new constitution, by legal means, through the highest tribunal of the people, the Legislature. Whatever course events may take in the future, with reference to this all important subject to the justly aggrieved Hawaiian, we have the satisfaction of having advocated the only peaceful ways to solve the burning question.
Inconsistency.
The inconsistency of the mechanics and workingmen of Honolulu is astonishing. they have been agitating for a number of years against coolie labor, and yet on election day they allowed themselves to be blindly induced to vote for Boss Bowler’s troupe who are all in favor of the coolie. The five men whom Boss Bowler induced the people of Honolulu to elect as Nobles are the direct representatives of trusts and monopolies that are antagonistic to the men of toil. Their exuberance over the result of the election has not failed to reveal the fact that Bowler’s troupe are solidly in favor of coolies. Of course they say that they will ony bring coolie under restrictions. But we assert that neither the British East India or the Chinese government will permit their subjects to come here under any such humiliating conditions as our planters propose for them. If coolies come, they will come oonly with the privilege accorded to every other class of immigrant of remaining here after the expiration of the contract. It will be only a just retribution on the mechanics of Honolulu, if the result of their ballotting on the 3 rd of February be to introduce the coolie that will drive them out of the country with their competition. We should regret to see it. the Liberal Party was the friend of the workingman, but he deliberately marched into his enemy’s camp, and will be the author of his own misfortune.
The aggregation of five Tammany Nobles whom the Boss assisted by the Reform Party, elected to the Legislature, are pledged to the support of the constitutional amendment that will disfranchise a large constituency of foreign voters. KA LEO hopes that these men will stick to their pledges and that the Liberals will vote with them on this issue. The Liberal Party repeatedly announced that they proposed to defeat this particular amendment. But the foreigners themselves, whom the Liberal Party was protecting, saw fit to vote against their friends and give their support to a handful of schemers who are pledged to a suicidal disfranchisement. We hope the Liberal Party will cheerfully concur in the adopted policy of Bowler’s Tammany and assist them to pass the amendment which is apparently approved of by a majority of the foreign voters of Honolulu. We say cheerfully, for if the alien is so ready to give up his vote it will materially strengthen the voting power of the Liberal Party at the next election.
It is Said.
That the deserter from Macao, like Peter of old, denied his master even before the crowing of the cock. After the returns were in from the 3 rd District, on the night of February the 3 rd , a Liberal asked the fellow, “What do you think of your man now?” Whereupon he replied, “He isn’t my man; if he were, I’d set him to work on a plantation, instead of managing a railroad.” Surely, Judas was a gentleman compared to this fellow.
BOSS BOWLER
Johnnie was the genius who hatched the plot that has broken up the Mechanics Union and the Hai Kalaiaina, and produced a Tammany ring that appears to have it head quarters at Charlie McCharthy’s office. The Boss himself prefers to lounge at Hon J. S. Walker’s office, and thereby directs a peculiar scrutiny as to Mr. Walker’s political attitude.
ON DIT.
That John supplied the Gin, Lot supplied the Chin, Bush supplied the Win, and cdampaign Boodlers supplied the Tin.
That some of the clerks in the departments needs a run on grass for awhile in order to better apreciate a warm and well grained stall.
That the color of the election inspectors showed how much Charley sympathised with the Kanaka, and what to hope for in return.
That all is not lost with such leaders in the Legislature as Bush Wilcox and Ashford and their supporters, and such of their party as Marques, Ross, Gay. Cummings and Thomas, who are still potent in the counsels of the Liberal party.
That Mr. Thurston in his dead past letter to the Bulletin cannot conceal his hatred of the native people, and his contempt for the National Reform party, whom he flatters himself he has now utilized. Just think of such men as Neumann and Peterson being led by even such a political failure, and “used” for the purpose of delivering the goods called for by Thurston-Widemann, Sell-out! Jerusalem!!
That the way John muddled the voting Register at five dollars a day shows peculiar blindness in the appointer than appointee and mutual understanding in the matter.
That W. C. Achi got 46 votes: just the number of his cousins and uncles. Charley now takes an extra curl on his moustache, which gives him a careworn look.
That native Hawaiians assisted to elect C. W. Ashford because they thought he knew the form of combination that would unlock the trickery and rascality locked up in the forced constitution of 1887.
That the foreign born voters depended upon C. W. Ashford to remodel the combination of the constitution and make it so that Boodlers would be prevented from getting their fingers in the government treasury.
That as there is a prospect of a change of Ministry, it is high time for Godfere to come home to his adopted country from his native land, and with the aid of a little foreign diplomacy, ship him as cainet tutor.
Platform of Principle OF THE HAWAIIAN NATIONAL LIBERAL PARTY.
INDEPENDENCE OF THE COUNTRY
2. Out of consideration for the inherent rights and present opinions of the native population, we desire to retain the independence of the Country and defend its autonomy, under a liberal and popular form of government; but our Treaties with Foreign Powers, and especially with the United States of America, should be revised, so as to better meet present necessities and to obtain more equitable advantages in exchange of those granted by us.
JUDICIARY REFORMS
3. Our Judiciary system and Code of Procedure must be submitted to a thorough revision, so as to secure a cheap and prompt administration of justice, free of all sectarian or patisan spirit, and to render the Judges more directly responsible to the People; and we are in favor of a more liberal interpretation of Constitutional guarantees of the freedom of speech and the press.
TAXATION
4. A more just and perfect system of Taxation must be inaugurated, to abolish the present inequalities, by which the property of the poor is excessively taxed, while much of the rich man’s goods are undervalued for assessment or entirely escape taxation; we shall therefore demand the passage of laws that will more effectually subject the property of corporations and rich citizens to their just proportion of public burdens, while granting more liberal exemptions to the poor; and as a means of discouraging the locking up of large tracts of uncultivated lands, a differential tax should be levied in addition to the usual assessment on valuation, which should be in proportion to the fertility of the soil. We shall also favor the establishment of a graduated income-tax, and thus expect to obtain ample funds for conducting the government and attending to all necessary public improvements without any further calls on the masses.
MONOPOLIES
5. We shall use our efforts to obtain laws by which all favoritism in the government and all monopolies, trusts and privileges to special classes shall be rendered impossible, by full, @ and mandatory @
PUBLIC SERVANTS.
6. Better laws should regulate the Civil Service. The principle of the election of officers of the government by the people should be established, and no man should be allowed to hold more than one office of profit, whilst salaries should be adaquate compensation for the services rendered. All excessive salaries should be reduced and all sinecures or superfluous offices abolished.
PROTECTION TO HOME INDUSTRIES
7. We are in favor of encouraging all house agriculture and industries, and all our native products, like rice, coffee, wool, tobacco, etc. should be protected and fostered by proper tariff regulation; and also it must be the duty of the Government, in its contracts and other operations, to give preference to national products over imported ones.
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
8. We desire a more liberal policy towards the different Islands of the Kingdom, outside of Oahu; they should receive a fairer porportion of the public moneys for the development of their resources and the satisfaction of their wants. In fact, the principle of local, self-government should be extended, whereby giving localities may choose the most important of their local executive officers, and levy taxes for the purpose local improvements of a public nature.
PROTECTION TO THE LABOURING CLASSES
9. We shall endorse all measure tending to improve the condition of the working classes, and consequently, without injuring any vested rights, we will advocate laws to prevent all further importation or employment of contract-labor of any kind, upon conditions which will bring it into a ruinous and degrading competition with free Hawaiian or white labor. We shall also, in the interest of the better protection of the poor, ask for more liberal exemption of their property from forced sale on execution, and from seizure in bankruptcy proceeding.
SMALL FARMING AND HOME STEADS.
10. The wealthy fraction of our population have hitherto prevented the development of an independent class of citizena; the public lands have been acquired and have been tied up on a few hands or parcelled to suit favorites, and small farmers and planters have been driven out by corporations or combinations of capitalists; but as small farming is conducive to the afability of the State, it should be encouraged by a new and more liberal Homestead act, by which the ownership of small tracts of land and the settlement thereon of families of our present population, - and especially of the native Hawaiians who have been left almost homeless in their country-should be rendered possible. To that end, the Government and Crown lands, (in so far as can be done without invading vested rights) should be devoted as soon as possible to homesterads, and conferred upon bona-fide settlers free of taxes for a limited period.
It should be the further aim of government to, at once, so far improve the means of transportaion, - local, national and international, - as to provide, in all the districts, cheap means of conveying the product of the soil to market.
ELECTORAL RIGHT.
11. We hold that upright and honest manhood, and not the possession of wealth, arbitrarily fixed, should consti(@tute) the right to vote for nobles as well as representatives, and no more power should be accorded to the ballot of the rich man that to the ballot of the poor man. The discrimination in favor of wealth now made in our Constitution is contrary to all the eternal principles of right and justice, and must be abolished. To this end, we will favor a leveling of the present distinction of wealth and classes which blemish our laws with respect of the right to vote for nobles, thereby restoring to the native Hawaiians privileges which pertain to them in their own country, and of which they have been unjustly deprived.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS
12. We favor the expenditure of sufficient sums to secure a number of needed public improvements on Oahu and other Islands; school, railroads and harbors and wharves, public light, and also a thorough system of reservoirs and water-works, not only for Honolulu, but through-out the other Islands.