The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-03-08

OPPOSES IT
Is Against the Proposed
Armory Site and
Militia.

armory placed in the Capitol grounds,
| said Ex-Governor A. S. cleghorn yes
| terday. II am opposed to any armory
| at all and to any militia for this Ter
ritory. The grounds should be reserved
exclusively for the Capitol building and
for park purposes. The buildings there
now should be removed, excepting the
band stand which was erected at the
time of the coronation. / have very
strong views on the armory matter
and / can't conceive of any reason
which would justify it's location in the
corner of the Capitol grounds as pro-
posed. If the armory must be built,
and the expenditure made from the
loan fund, then place it on the site
between the automobile building and
the judiciary grounds.
There are many associations con-
nected with the Capitol grounds, histor-
ical and otherwise, which should form
sufficient argument against the pro-
posal. The present Capitol was the
old palace. and 1t Is built on the site
of the smaller palace where many of
the rulers of Hawaii lived. The large
mound on the south marks the graves
of some of Hawairs famous chiefs.
Formerly the old mausoleum stood
there. and when the new mausoleum
was built up Nuuanu, Kamehameha ~
ordered that the remains of some of
the chiefs be buried on the spot. The
remains of the mother of Princess
Ruth. who gave her fortune to Princess
Bernice Pauahi Bishop to be used in
L y, Hn lie, ora,
marked by this mound and are also
in the same place, the remains of many
other famous chiefs. 1 believe that
proper care should be taken of this
burial place, and an iron fence erected
about it. In the days OF the monarchy
the mound was fenced off and garden
kept about it. but now 1t is utterly
neglected.
THE palace grounds should be main
tanned as a park, and only the main
building itself allowed to remaiI upon
it. Recently I called upon Supt. Hol-
loway and asked him to see that the
rubbish piles on the Likelike side of
the grounds We're cleared away. That
is a bad example for the government
to set for the public. The grounds
should be preserved exclusively for
park purposes, and the buildings other
than the band stand cleared away. And
the d,lapidated old seats should be re-
placed by some of neat appearance.
What do we need with the militia
now? One of the benefits we derived
from annexation was the strong arm
of the United States government be-
hind us. Now we have a detachment
of artillery here and that is sufficient
for all purposes. The militia is of no
service, and unless the members are
willing to pay for it themselves it
should be cut out altogether. If the
United States wants to make an al
lowance of uniforms and guns, well and
good, but government which has a
place for every cent of its revenue, as
this Territory has, should not be call
ed upon to support military organiZa-
ton. The detachment of United States
troops is sufficient for all purposes, and
they can be called upon in case of
emergency. l believe the governor
has the right to call upon the Federal
troops, when necessary. And II there
should be sudden emergency, the
young men of this country will be quick
to respond with guns on their shoul-
ders
II was somewhat mortified when Sec
retary Taft was here for this Territory
to be able to show only the one COM
pany of soldiers under Captain John
son, as representing the militia. If
there is to be militia at all, the entire
force should be kept up to the same
standard. When l was governor we
had several companies of Hawaiians
and they drilled beautifully, as does
Co. f. But we don't need any of them.
The National Guard is all right when
We have nothing else but now we have
the regular army here, and prepared
to face any emergency as they did dur
ing the plague time. You can say that
l am emphatically opposed to placing
the armory on the Capitol grounds and
also to the militia, IL 1t is to be kept
up at the expense of the taxpayers OF
the Territory"