Honolulu Record, September 2, 1948, vol. 1 no. 5, p. 2
Voters
It was again time for prediction and Henry Pauoa, chief clerk in the office of the secretary of Hawaii, called his shot. He said more than 100,000 will be registered to vote in the coming territorial primary election and more than 150,000 in the general election.
City-County Clerk Leon K. Sterling, Sr., also made his estimate. Said he: On Oahu alone there will be 65,000 registered voters for the primary election and over 85,000 for the general election. Compared with the 1946 figures for Oahu, Mr. Sterling expects 10,000 more for the primary and 20,000 more for the general election.
Premature Sour Grapes
Tax Commissioner William Borthwick, after a period of indecision, announced that he will not run for delegate. But even before this he had sounded a note of doom. Said he, when he put out a feeler that he was going to run:
"If I am defeated by Delegate Farrington, it will show conclusively that subversive elements are in control of Hawaii."
Truth Uncovered
Timed with the announcement that Borthwick may run for delegate was a statement by Chairman A. T. Longley of the Hawaii Statehood Commission. Mr. Longley had recently resigned as president of his Democratic precinct club in Wahiawa because he felt "subversive elements" had taken control of the party's principal committees. Said Mr. Longley: "I said before that I would oppose any candidate who is supported by or who is associated with any subversive group and that I would turn against statehood if any such group gained control of our legislature."
For the first time in the history of the Territory the Democratic Party to which Mr. Longley belongs, has an opportunity to shatter the age-old Republican domination of both houses. The mass base of the Democratic Party is composed of workers whose leaders he calls "subversive." More revealing than the fact of his giving comfort and assistance to the Republicans was the cat Mr. Longley let out of his statehood bag. He is now in the class with those who talk for statehood but whose hearts are against it.
Time for Action
O. P. Soares, chairman of the Republican territorial central committee, boasted about the islands' record which snowed 85 per cent participation during the last election.
He went way out on a limb and off the beam in his talk at the Kiwanis luncheon. He said: "Most Mainlanders don't even know elections are being held."
He called GOP precinct workers together and gave them a rousing pep talk. The Republican precinct clubs began to move.
The Democrats have been organizing and meeting on precinct level for quite some time. A poorer party, its newer candidates — who are without well-oiled political machines -- were working overtime. Supervisor Richard Kageyama, who is running for re-election, was nailing up large posters all over town, climbing up and down a ladder with hammer and nails. Edward Ernest Wiles, a young lawyer who, for the first time is running for the House from the Fifth District, was working late into the night, ringing doorbells to register voters. Attorney Wiles brought the issues to the homes and explained them, so that the voters would go to the polls.