The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1888-04-19
April 10Th
CUI BONO?

Although the oracle of the Govern
ment maintains a stolid silence on the
subject, it is popularity understood that
the Colonel of the Honolulu Rifles has
resigned that position and retired into
private life. Such being the case, the
question naturally presents itself-Who
will be his successor? But we wonld 90
farther and inquire whether it is worth
while to appoint a successor at all? For
what purpose do our military forces ex-
lst, and are they a necessary evil? That
every man employed in the regular
army represents SO much labor with
drawn from the production of wealth is
we'll established fact, and unless some
palpable raisOn DEERE can be shown the
men so withheld should be Immediately
disbanded and enabled to return to in
dustrial pursuits. The large standing
armies of the continent of Europe are a
serious drain upon the countries taxed
with their maintenance, but where
powerful States are situated in close
proximity to one another, liable at any
moment to become embroiled in inter
national disputes, with no arbiter to de-
eide between them, the arts of peace
would not long be safe without the pro-
tecting arm of the military forces. Until
civilization shall have advanced to that
stage whereat war will be rendered inn
possible, either by virtue of an universal
international compact, or of the perfec-
ton and potency of ornaments, these
will ever be the conditions of existence
o: the Great Powers. But the Kingdom
of Hawaii is not a great power. IT'S pop
ulation all told amounts in round num-
bers to about eighty thousand. The
conditions obtaining here are essentially
different. 1t may be that longing eyes
from abroad are cast upon the few square
miles of territory of which we can boast,
but no army that we could raise would
render our autonomy one whit more Sc
cure. The only conceivable use to
which that miserable little handful of
men, known as 1.-The military forces OF
the Kingdom, i" could possibly be applied
is the preservation of order in times of
excitement: political or otherwise
police rather than a military function.
On the other hand, a very dangerous
abuse to which they would be liable in the
hands of wicked, designing and unscru-
pulous men is that of flying at each
others threats without rhyme or reason,
and which but few short months ago
they were on the point of doing, greatly |
to the detriment of peaceful citizens. In |
a word, they are liable to be turned from |
their legitimate purpose, that of the |
preservation of peace and order, to one |
which is directly harmful to the body |
polite, viz, to fan into flame the ami
mosities of rival political factions. This
danger, by the way, is enhanced tenfold
where the several sections of the force
are of different nationalities "But the
Rifles were instrumental in enforcing
they were or not is matter ex-
,raneous to the present argument. We
nave no desire to revive the tension of
he Both of June, but there is one thing
hat was done on that memorable day
dangerous precedent was established
f once the principle be admitted that
orce shall be allowed to take the place
argument in the councils OF the nation,
hat principle is capable of indefinite ex-
,nsion. We know not where it will
,op. Recourse may be had at any mo-
,ent to the sword to cut any Gordian
not that may arise in the tangled web
political strife. 1t may be used on
g wrong side as well as on the right,