The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-04-17
SUNDAY TARGET PRACTICE.

The SUNDAY smoothing Id LH6it ID NV
before the House of Representative!
presents almost as serious complication
as the Act to Mitigate, and there are
certain practical facts and condition!
which we must perforce recognize IL
considering the moral phase of the
question. We have a condition OF
affairs in this country that re-
uuires the presence of military or
ganization. That organization, to attain
a proper degree of efficiency, must give
a certain amount of time 10 drills and
target practice. A body of men who aim
at a mark and hit the wind are worse
than. none at all, and past experience
has shown that the Government forces,
if not properly trained, may be in quite
as much danger from the guns OF their
friends as from those of the enemy.
Precision in firing is quite as necessary
an accomplishment for the men who
carry guns as precision in marching
and discipline in the company. In fact,
when a body of armed men get in hot
place it is not one of the tenets of mill
tary law that they shall depend upon
their leg force to get out of it. Our vol
unteer forces are not in the military
business for display. If such were the
case our volunteer companies and the
Citizens Guard would dwindle to
mere handful.
Our present military regulations very
properly demand a certain amount of
target practice. Now, the question
arises, what time shall they devote to
this work. A large proportion of the
military and Citizens Guard are COM
posed of working men, and three COM
panies at least of the volunteers are
made up of day laborers, whose en-
ployers demand all the time that might
be used for target practice, with the eX-
ception, perhaps, of an hour Saturday
afternoon and Sundays. These men are
reaLy TO stand by the Government in
time c. trouble, and also willing to de-
vote one or more evenings of the week,
after a full days work, to drills. These |
same men are also willing to take time
for target practice if the community |
will allow them to take such time as
the dictates of their own conscience
suggest.
We have it from a reliable source
that not more than twenty per cent.
of the entire volunteer armed force of
the country indulge in target practice
on Sunday, and the majority, if not the
whole of this number, is made up of
men whose only leisure time is on that
day None of the paid military are al
lowed to practice at the range on Sun
day The people of the community who
oppose Sunday target practice should
ask themselves a number of practical
questions. Are we willing that the vol
unteer forces should fall below their
present standard of proficiency? In our
military force do we want men who can
shoot, or men who can simply make a
good display on parade? And finally,
are the business men of this town will
time from the workshop, without de-
Quoting that time when pay day comes {
around, in order that those employees
may have an opportunity to go to the
rifle range on week days?
If our military companies were on the
same basis as the militia companies of
the United States, we would most GER Z
-ainly say that target practice on Sun
4
1nder existing conditions we must ad-
nit that there are two sides to the
question. What are we. here for? the
military asks. And the answer comes,
For an emergency" There are plenty
If target ranges where those using
hem can be out of sight and sound of
and those who shoot on Sun
lay should be obliged to use such
'anges. Furthermore, the military de-
1artment should make strict regula-
ions to prevent the gathering at the
ange from becoming a Sunday jollifi-
alton; but until the country has no
urther use for military protection, or 1
Until employers are ready, as they
hould be, to go down into their pocket 4
looks to protect the Sabbath, we cannot
Import the proposed absolute prohibi-
ion of target practice at any time
which may be selected by those who
olunteer their services for the safety
f the country and are willing to risk
heir lives in a fight if called upon to
o so. Self-preservation is the first law
f nature. The homes of Hawaii must
e protected from foes that may threat
n, and until the American flag floats T
yer these Islands, the people of the
ountry must be constantly prepared
o meet an emergency. We have full
onfidence that the Executive head of