The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-02-16
THE NATIONAL GUARD.

1
| The Governor 5 message commits hlm
to the support of the National Guard of
| Hawaii in the following terms;
In determining our policy let us not
| forget that it is the duty Of each state
and Territory to make reasonable pro
vision for its own safety from internal
diss.nsioD and for the national defense,
and Hawaii should not put herself III
the lnanvlabIe position OF asking up-
organizations from the general govern
,nent for military and naval equipment,
While she expends nothing for her own
protection.
We do not agree with this view. It
is not the duty of the States and Ter
ritories to make provision for the ma
tional defense, but the duty of the
Federal Government. The latter, how
ever, may call upon the States and Ter
ritories for aid in time OF war and in
such event Hawaii would respond with
volunteers worth a dozen such regi-
ments as the one which our overbur-
dened taxpayers are called upon to sup
port in time of peace. From past eX-
perience the Federal Government is
very sick, indeed, of having to rely
on militia which really incapacitates
itself for regular service by loose meth
DDS of discipline The army prefers
volunteers.
As for dealing with internal dissen-
sion. the sherIr could cali posse com
itatus comprising hundreds of armed
white men. IF such posse could not
put down a mob the First Regiment
would hardly hope to do so; and they
wouldn t have to be supported, year in
and year out, while waiting for an i'm
probable need. So far, of all the plan
tation strikes Oahu has seen, twenty
policemen were enough to quell them.
We cannot follow the Governor in his
plea that Hawaii "puts herself in an
unenviable position bv asking appro-
priations from the general government
for military and naval equipment while
she expends nothing for her own pro-
lection" But it happens that Hawaii
has little or nothing to do with this
matter of military and naval defence.
The United States is not going to forti-
" Honolulu and build naval station
Is favor to US, but as an advantage
o itself. 1t is not appropriating funds
It our request and would not be infu
,nced, particularly. by our wishes in
he matter. We could not stop such
if we tried. For de-
ensive and naval purposes, Hawaii is
imply considered as an outpost of the
United States, not as a place with To-
al interests to serve. fhe Legislature
nay rest assured that Uncle Sam will !
ot feel hurt if we leave him to do his ,
wn business in his own way. {
Finally, the Legislature may rest as
ured that if internal trouble should !.
ONE, something beyond the power of ,
posse comitatus to suppress, the I
Tnited States, as in the case of other ]
territories, and even in the case of
tates, would promptly apply the mill
airy remedy. Amidst the excitement of
he plague fire here, when there was
anger OF mob, the troops from camp {
fcKinley moved into town. During the s
'hicago riots, the President used the
roops not only in the absence of re-
uest for them from the executive of
illinois, put in the teeth of Governor :
-ltgeId' s protest. Also, during the In t
ian troubles, the War Department took c
he work of suppression in hand in all I
he Territories, and in some of the
tates. And very little it cared whether q
here was a militia on hand or not. 7
The precise, cold truth of the matter O
that the National Guard of Hawaii a
a costly and needless luxury, and that
he money it wants to waste ought to a
o for something useful.