The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-06-07
DO6UARbShENN
federal SERVICE
VOTE IS QUESTION
Politicians Aroused over Possibil-
ity That Franchise Is Lost
Men Called IntoArmy
MAY TAKE PART M vi =. -.
ELECTION IS OPINION
United States Officials Believe
Voters Retain status While
Still In Territory

Suh VI EbIIHoEy
Politicians suddenly awakened to the
fact yesterday that hundreds and pos
sibly thousands of voters Of the Ter.
ritory win be carrying arms and wear.
ing khaki this full When the general
elections take place, and vague rumors
spread through both the Republican
and Democratic ranks that the status
OF candidates for Office might be shak-
en-, but the consensus of off-hand opin-
ions among federal officials is that
the men will be permitted to vote as
usual. 1T :, i.'
The question did not arise until the
First Hawaiian Regiment was actually
IN an army camp, its personnel of both
commissioned and enlisted men to re.
main mobihzed until the end of the
war With precinct meetings Of the
Republican party being held last night
to select candidates for election to the
convention on July 90, the status Of the
former national guardsmen who are
citizens, and the prospective soldiers
acquired through the draft became the
question of the hour. vi ! ,>l..
United States District Attorney 8. C.
Huber, City Attorney A. M. Brown,
and few army officers expressed them,
selves as inclined to the belief that
the men did not lose their rights as
citizens while under arms as long as
they remained at their 'chome sta
tions', and "home stations" in this
instance is interpreted to mean their
residence within the Territory.
Tn matter has already been the sub
ject Of considerable discussion among
the voters at the army camp at Fort
Armstrong, and some of the tents have
resOunded with "soap- box" oratory,
but practically all speakers expressed
the belief that the ballot was theirs
exactly as il was while they were mem.
beers of the national guard and engaged
in civilian occupations.
What Law Says
The Organic Act whinh congress pass
ed to provide a government for Hawaii
following the annexation of the Is. !
lands by the United States, contains n
specific clause with reference to the |
rights Of citizens even though they be- |
come soldiers, section So reading as |
follows: H. .-,g.,t ~ 1y.Tt.:1' Az
THAT no eleetor shall be UbIissd 10
perform military duty on the day Of |
election as to prevent his voting, ex-
eePt in time of war or public danger,
or in case of absence from his place |
of residence in actual military service,
in which case provision may be made
by law. for taking his vote"
Section 63 reads us follows: "That
no person shall be allowed to vote who
is in the Territory by reason Of being
in the army or navy or by reason of be-
ing attached to troops in the service
of the United States"
This refers to enlisted men in the
regular army who are sent here from
other states for service, and who would
not acquire the legal residence necessary
TO vote.
Movements Of Troops
- A company of the First Hawaiian
Regiment may move out of the army
camp at Fort Armstrong this after
noon and entrain for Sehofield Bar
racks for station, probably at one of
the Cashier cantOnments. The first
company, however, will certainly move
out by tomorrow morning, which will
leave vacancy for another company.
The army authorities are now ar.
ranging to have companies of the Sec
Ond Hawaiian Regiment come into Ho.
nolulu Immediately, and one of the
island of Hawaii companies may arrive
tomorrow morning. If the First Regi-
nent has not Transported a company
to Schofield Barracks by that time,
provision il already made to encamp
he men at Camp Mccarthy in the
Capitol grounds. Inasmuch as there
may be number of companies arriv- ,
ng from other islands about the same
line and Insufficient vacancies avail .
lble for them, they will go to Camp
Mccarthy, thus giving the Capitol
grounds another WaFlike appearance.
The medical staff of the camp YES,
erday examined the men of Company ,
/, second battalion, composed of Fill {
limos from the Oahu plantation district t
# WaiPahu. The company was all pass. |
ID through by half past two in the I
,fteTn0On, and then. came the task for c
'aptain Edward ,Witsell, u. s. A., mus v
erlng otficer, and assistants, for it de. :
9lVed upon these officers to finish up
he paper work" for the company. u
Zach man is to receive about Ave t
eparate sets of papers. d
Estimates for Draft g
cPoh thc LoSulLs OF me physical eX-
limitations of these Filipinos the army b
Ulcers may be able TO form an idea of t
he possible number of reflections in u
he entire regiment. The number was /
OF known yesterday. Previously 1t b
as expected that the total Of rsiec- @
ions would be about fifteen percent b
or the entire command! This would
AXE out about 200 men as maximum e
CURE, leaving the regiment with about il
"elVe hundred. Providing the Second Il
Ogimeut 3 rejects" are about the c,
ame number, the eregistrants for the II
raft will be called upon to provide
bout eight hundred men for each regi. fl
ent, or 1900 in all. NJ
The regimcntal war strength in \,
nhu = army posts has been from 1900
} 2OOO, with ihI 18th Infantry (color- re
y having nearly 2400, OF
II is estimated that all officers Of the al
irst Regiment, who were physically &C
lamincd Wednesday are certain to On
lss and be mustered in Following W
leir arm "shots" on Wednesday sey,
al were not quite In fighting condition as
'sterday and nursed tender biceps. b,
The next company to take physical al