The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-04-24
THE MILITARY.


ing been a revolution in this King
dom, he has only to read the edi-
torial in the Ad0eriser of the 10Th
inst. That paper is owned by the
military party of year or two ago,
its heirs, assigns and successors; but
this particular article has borrowed
all the argument it contains, SO far
as it is conditionally sound, from
the literature of the opposition to
that party If the GAZETTE is what
our contemporary refers to as "the
oracle of the Government" we fear
our neighbor will have to be doomed
to disappointment in gaining here
any calculation of the military stu
alton, further than being referred to
facts that the most ignorant mem
bers of the community ought to know
already Nothing could be more
pronounced than the irrelevancy of
the following sentence in connection
with a proposal for abolishing the
volunteer military forces of this
Kingdom: THAT every man en-
ployed in the regular army repre-
sents so much labor withdrawn from
the production of wealth is we'll
established fact, and unless some
palpable raison d. etre can be shown
the men so withheld should be i'm
mediately disbanded and enabled to
return to industrial pursuits" This
sober reasoning cannot be meant to
apply to the only corps that lives on
soldering Kings Guards-for
the AdoeTriser in conclusion adj
mjts the propriety of retaining
"a small body guard for
His Majesty" From its con-
nection the passage quoted refers to
the Honolulu Rifles, in that it is in
discussion of the question raised as
to whether successor to the lately
resigned commander of the battalion
named was to be appointed. Its
absurdity, therefore, lies in the fact
that the Rifles have never, except for
few days during the late unpleasant
ness, taken solitary man a single
day from regular employment in the
arts of peace. AT this writing we
decline to discuss with our contem-
porary the strength Of reasons for
maintaining that corps which may be
gathered from its recent history.
The declaration by the Supreme
Court of the unconstitutionality Of
the Military Act of 1886 and the veto
by the King of the Military Act
of 1887 leave us in equal per-
plexity with cur morning contem
porary as to what is going to be the
next development in military mat
tiers. When, however, the Ad0erttser
meets with less favor than this
journal in respectful quest of inform
alton at headquarters, it will be time
enough for it to invoke our interces
sion for its enlightenment. We shall
only say, calmly and without either
partisan bias or official inspiration,
that, apart from political contingent
cies, it would be folly for the Govern
ment to dispense with the volunteer
military. As, however, it costs
money to equip the force, limit
should certainly be put upon
its strength. can efficient police is
all very well to write about, but
police force adequate to cope with
possible, if not probable, emergencies
in this country will cost much more
than volunteer military system of
reasonable proportions. The PROPOSE
ton last advanced is based upon facts
aside from national politics, some of
which have come to the knowledge of
a portion of the community within
few weeks past, proving that there is
tension of relations toward each
other between certain alien nationali-
ties which only requires opportunity
and excitation to make trouble that
no ordinary police force might be able
to suppress.