The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-03-30
PROMPTLY DENIED
Deputy Collector MGStOCkGl and
n. G. 4.
HE PLAYS NO FAVORITES
Men Appointed According
to Loyalty and Brains.
Has Instructed Men to Join Mill
tary-Appllcations From
Every Glass.

Referring TO an article in yesterdays
Advertiser regarding Government pat
ronage being thrown TO members of the
Citizens Guard, Capt F. B. MeStocker
said last night:
Whoever made the assertion is talk
ing through his hat. The first question
I ask an applicant for a position per-
tains TO his loyalty; the second, to his
capability The armed body to which
ne belongs is immaterial. and if the in
formation I get in response to the first
two questions is satisfactory. that is
all 1 care for. That the man belongs
to a military or civic organization,
whose aim is to support the Govern
men, is understood, for you know there
is an unwritten law TO that effect.
"There are some busy bodies in
Honolulu who are trying to throw
discredit on the Government and dis
organize the National Guard My i'm
preston is that the man who made
the remark belongs to that set
Before the Citizens Guard was or
ganized, with captains at the head of
each company. I knew every one who
was in the organization and what he
was doing. Ny interest in the organiza
tion is as strong today as ever, but
am not as active as formerly, though
have a general supervision, but I wish
10 deny emphatically that preference
is given 70 members of the Guards in
so far as positions in the Custom House
is concerned.
There have been two instances that
1 remember now, where men were on
the night watch in this service, and
who were members of the \. G. H. I
found that il was impossible for them
10 give proper attention 10 their du-
ties here. and be ar the armory on drill
nights I suggested 10 them that when
their commissions expired they had
better resign and join the Custom
House squad of the Citizens Guard.
I This squad. YOU will understand. was
organized especially for service around
the Custom House when occasion re-
/ quires.
The insinuation that members of the
y. G. H. are encouraged to leave that
organization and join the Citizens
Guards is pure and simple rot. I heard
a week ago" continued Captain Nc
Stocker, that We were giving pref
erence to men other than those con-
nected with the \. G. H I immedi-
ately called on a line officer and asked
him to make the charge over his sig
nature if he knew such TO be the
case. His answer was that he be
ice to the Government, as members
Of the Mounted Reserve or the Sharp
shooters. as in the y. G. H We have
had men come to US for positions who
were totally incompetent TO fill them.
They were members of the y. G. H,
and I suppose they and their friends
feel, because they were not appoint
ed, that We show a preference for
men in other organizations. A mem
Der Of the Citizens Guard cannot get
employment here. either. if he is in
capable.
Here is the book in which all ap-
plications for appointments are filed
: viii read them over to you, and you
may see how few members Of the y
G. H have recorded themselves as
wanting positions. Here are applica-
: tions from men who do not belong tc
any organization under the Govern.
ment. and you viii notice that not Z
few are men who clearly neglected
= the study of penmanship in theil
youth. You will notice, also, thai
I there are applications from men who
. have not been in the country Ions
enough 70 wear out q pair of shoes
They seem to think that we have NJ
old residents here-men who by thefl
actions in 1893 and 1895 showed
themselves as deserving of assistanc,
from the Government And of thes.
: men who have been in every racke
J the Government has had, let me say
] and l do II reluctantly, that becaust
they have carried guns in four revo
lutions il does not follow that they
! must be given positions ahead O
those who have been IN only two
= There are men who. on the score O
service, should have appointments
but, IL they persistently keep them
: selves over barrel, or crook theil
] elbows so frequently that they art
4 unfit for positions, the man who ha.
: been In one revolution, and whC
keeps sober should be given the pref
2 erence. What is done in other depart
ments does not concern me, but in tht
: Custom House positions are awarded
q to loyal competent men. whethel
they be in the " G. H, Citizens