Ka Hoku o Hawaii, Volume XXXI, Number 43, 17 February 1937 — Dr. George Favors Literacy Legislation [ARTICLE]

Dr. George Favors Literacy Legislation

Ka Hōku O Hawaii xeaders are urged to read the following arlicle, by Henry —Dougherty, published in the Advertl:ser of pebruary 10:

ESfemptlng all over 60 vears old, ospecially the Hawaiian, Dr. WilHam H, George, dean of the College of Letter.s and Seience at the Univ*ersity of Hhwaii, and professor of political ,scienff, believes that all yolers in Hawaii registerlng for the first time should be required to read and write English. Dr. George finds t-hat the literacy test of the Territory allows more 3a(.itude than it did in the days of Bepublic of Hawaii, and he believes a higher standard could be made applieable to new votcr.s without hardship. Also, the time has eome t.o consider the language test in the, light of 1 Americanization, he says. When seen ! at hls Gffice at the university yest«r- ] day, Dr, George (|Mated the followjng ' interview: - j "Any sugL might respect- 1 fully make to the coming 3egislature ! would grow out of my study of the j election law.s of the Territory. and a j comparison of them with the consiitu- ] tion of the Republic of Hawaii For 4 instance, I note that the literacy test J under the Republic was more rigid than the one incorporated in the Or- j ganic Act. To vote under the Kepu'olie J one had to be able to speak, read ;md ] write understandingly the English or Hawaiian l&gguages, and the test for reading and writing was the consti!u- ! tion of the Republic. Our literacy test j allows more latitude than that. We have "no quajitative standard and no specified material that must be nad and written. Reading a newspaper quite laboriously would satisfy our requirements. In 1900 our literacy test was doubtless justified, biit it is not up to the present level of public intelligence as a result of our public school system. Certainly a higher standard could be mswJe app]icable to new voters without hardship. "I think the time has eome to eonsider the language test in the ,light of Americanization. The courts of Wyomlrife have held that the literacy test ln that srtate was a part of their Americapization program. They refused to perniit a group of Pinns to vote who could read the constitution of the j state only in a Pinhish translation. 11 would not disfranchise any aged per- j son, especially aged Hawaiians who are indigenous here and whose rights | should be respected. But 1 would re- ( quire' a knowledge of the English lan- j guage of all registering for the first > time after January 1, 1938. Thus, if an j aged Hawaiian who canhot speak, read j and write English were obliged to re- j register through failure to yote in a i general election, he could do so with- ' out passing this test. We miglit even 1 exempt entirely from the 3iteracy test. 1 all persons 60 years of age and over. j as is done in some states. I luu e in ! mind new vōters, thu.s arriving at the ' Voting age and reglstering for the first' time. | "I would solve the problem of the j teachers' oath by following the example of Florida, and incorpovate an I oath to support. the Constitution of | the United States in the electlon laws : as one of the qualifipations for voting. ] We teachers are chalienged with the ' statement that surely no teacher would object to taklng an oath to support ! the Constitution of the Unitnd Statos. I reply cert«nly not, but if such oath j is good for teachers \vhy would it not be equally good for all citizens who } wish to vote? The argument is un- '■ ansvrerable. • j "In regard to the direct primary. I wish to poini out that even thr closod 1 primary would not solve thr pmhlem 1 The weaknes.s of the pnmHry is th.e los;, ; of party responsibihty A candidatc is ! not nominakni l>y a pariy :\nd his re- ! S|)onsibiUty »s to them. Hut ilm? re- j sponsibility is noi as e'.eiw .unl definiti- 1 as reppon.sibllify to a pnriy orgunl?:i- • lion. I conili«end lo th«" « j siudy of Uie liuiiiuu» sy*tem !n whtoh . members of «omina!-lng oonvrniii>nv I Oemoei'alle. RopubUc\nn or ju\y other j party. are eleoīoel by the pmph' : nalion by n eonventlon i8 th.e lv: t pliui if th« c<H\vei\tiou oaii bo ! The old eonvention i-.oi ti h:u! ! beeßuse it \Jffis V\nnd-p!<lu\! nnd roivtrolled by eHminaie-; those eviū Uy eUHMihg Ui<- iv.<'uU>hv nomiiiftting conventions «uul tlr mocrftmuig tUevn.

"īf the legislators are minded to take .! vp the question of statehood for Ha- . ! waii, I commend to them the example ' of California whieh did not wait for . | Congre,ss to pass ' an ensbling act ' authorizing the people to draft a eon- ' stitution. but upon their own ln3tiative | elected delegates to a constitutional j convention whieh drafted a constituI tion and submitted to the people, Upon ratifieation, it was presented to Congress for action. It was accepted, and California was admitted as a state in 1850. — "Such a- draft constitution s «,vould ! serve .the two-fold purpose of a plebiscite on statehood, and possibly an ap- [ plication to Congress for statehood. If | the people of Hawaii failed to...rati4y j } the draft constitution, no harm wouīd ' jbe done. lt would not be presented j j to Congress. But a draft constitution : j would enable the people to understand j i what they were voting for or against. 1 It would serve as a rational basis for fa plebiscite." J ( Dr. Oeorge has made a deep study ' ■ of government, and he is an authority ' on the subject. both .here and on the | Mainland.