The Hawaiian gazette., 1896-04-17
SUNDAY TARGET PRACTICE.

The Sunday shooting law that is now
! before the House of Representatives
presents almost as serious complications
as the Act to Mitigate, and there are
certain practical facts and conditions
which we must perforce recognize in
considering the moral phase of the
question. We have a condition of
affairs in this country that re-
quires the presence of a military or
! ganization. That organization, to attain
proper degree of efficiency, must give
a certain amount of time TO 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 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 a
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
ready to stand by the Government in
time of trouble, and also willing to de-
vote one or more evenings of the week,
after 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 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
lay. None of the paid military are al
owed to practice at the range on Sun
lay. The people of the community who
oppose Sunday target practice should
ask themselves a number of practical
questions. Are we willing that the vol
lnteer forces should fall below their
present standard of proficiency? In our
Military force do we want men who can ,
hoot, or men who can simply make a s
rood display on parade? And finally, ;
re the business men of this town will 7
ing to allow their employees to take
lime from the workshop, without de- !
lucting that time when pay day comes 6
round, in order that those employees
nay have an opportunity to go to the $
life range on week days? s
If our military companies were on the s
anne basis as the militia companies of
he United States, we would most GER I
ainly say that target practice on Sum T
ay should be made misdemeanor. but a
nder existing conditions we must adj G
nit. that there are two sides to the q
uestion- What are we here for? the I