The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-04-06

NAV be passionately fond of the same:
Simply because the whole structure is
undermined and rotten. l tell you when
money is brought in together with
sports the downfall is sure. This thing
can't go on The baseball grounds and
the race track are unsafe for the pres
ence OF children and young men. 1t is
one thing for you and me to gamble on
the sly although do not sanction that
but when il becomes common NUS
ance, then there should be a law di-
rected against it. The old law is made
quate and only touches certain games
which, in their working out, affect the
foreign population. The Chinese, for
the most part, are the ones who get into
trouble oftenest. Others do their gamb-
ling in a Christian way and are unaf-
fected by the statutes. Is such course
OF events just?
w. 4. Bowen-The community should
be reminded of facts that have been and
are in existence in Honolulu. l refer
especially to the betting of individuals
in all games. The young men of the city
are on dangerous ground. Instances are
still fresh in my mind Of betting in
sporting contests. One young man who
is now awaiting trial states candidly
gambling, drinking and fast women.
1 am in favor of expression being put
on the law and of attempting to make
this clean community. In regard to
bicycle races, the street contests would
be a vastly different affair if betting
were left out zone of the sports in the
rOOm-Yes, they would be much slower
in everything) l remember in a recent
bicycle race the contestants talked all
the way around the track and had d
general good time. (The same sport
I'll bet my hat they didn't talk after
they passed the last quarter)
Represent ative Bond announced the
act to restrict target shooting, on Sun
day as the next subject on the program
for the afternoon.
Rev. H. w. Peck-I enjoy games of all
kinds, and none more than shooting.
feel quite proud of belonging to the
Sharpshooters, and when 1 was actively
connected with that organization of be-
longing to the first team. 1 want to see
target shooting go on, but within GER
tain legislative limits. | do not object
to men going out for a quiet Sunday
shoot as long as they do not interfere
with the rights of others. The act at
temptS to regulate matters so that men
may go out 70 shoot and not be a nuls-
ance to those who do not like such act
ions. Seven years ago nothing of the
kind was in vogue here. People who
wanted to shoot went out to places
where they would not be a nuisance.
Sunday shooting, as carried on today
1--WE might as well come right down to
it,, was not carried on until after jan
uary 18th, 1898, or from the coming in
to power of the Provisional Govern
ment. The plea has often BEEN made
that it is matter of necessity that the
supporters of the Provisional Govern
ment know how to handle the rifle. In
the first place, those interested started
practice out at Diamond Head and other
places where they interfered with no
ones rights. Since that time the ranges
have crept closer and closer to the city.
In talking to the natives they offer this
as a reproach and say that such thing
was not known before the advent of the
present Government. I want to refer
to one thing in particular, and that is
the fact that the nuisance did not be-
come such until the coming into office
of the present acting head of the mill
tary-until medals were offered for
rifle competition by the Colonel. l
went around with a petition some time
ago and visited the principle places OF
business for the purpose of getting the
signatures of the leading men on the
suppression of the nuisance now under
discussion. The President and the Min
listers were in favor of it, but there was
no law, and no one seemed to like the
idea of putting himself on record as be-
ing opposed to Sunday shooting; so the
shooting went on. All that the proposed
law asks is that the people who want
to shoot shall not interfere with the
rights of others. The educational effect
is an important factor in relation to this
subject. Children get used to seeing
men packing, their guns on their Shout
ders every Sunday, and come to regard
it as being along in the ordinary run
of things. There results a breaking
down of the law. for the thing is clear
ly against the law. Now, then, how
about strangers who have heard that
the existing Government is the best one
the islands have ever had? When they
see such things will they retain that i'm
preston? There is a still more serious
aspect to the subject. The Citizens
Guard and Volunteer companies are
made up of the men of the city. Soon
there will be a withdrawing of men who
believe that Sunday shooting is wrong.
Rep. Robertson-Mr. Peck, is it not
barely possible that the people outside
the proposed three-mile limit may OBJ
ject as much as those inside?
Rev c. NJ. Hyde must speak for
the native Hawaiians on this point.
They are g. people who believe in the
institutional side of religion, and they
must surely be affected by the fact that
this state of affairs exists by authority
of the Colonel. If the thing is allowed
to go on there will be an inconsistency
in the claim that this is a Christian
Government.
w. A. Bowen-I received a letter
from a Hilo man recently, bright,
sparkling letteIh that bore marks of sar-
castle utterance all the way through.
He spoke particularly of the opportu-