The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-10-31

The Free Labor System In the East-Progress
OF the New Social Experiment..
The new system ofc ntracted free labor which
ia being largely deve ped with East India COO
lies in the British island Of Mauritus, and with
negroes in the French land of Reunion, situated
each other in the Indian ocean, ia one of the
most interesting ocial problems of the age.
We have watched its development with much
interest because It is destined to have an impor-
tant bearing upon the moral convictions of the
European communities and the future status OF
our own system Of slave labor; and we have, on
several PR vious occasions presented in our CO.
lumns concise view of the working of the new
system in the sugar colonies of the East. To
day we give elsewhere another compilation from
the flies Of The Mauritius Gazette, which contains
matter of much interest to the statesman the
politician and the philosophic inquirer.
TIL, true question to be solved by the social
exper ments now being made by England and
France in the islands of the Maurtius
group, is whether contract or bond labor
for series of years. or involuntary
seryitude for life is the system best adapted for
the permanent good Of the individual and the
community. Those countries having abolished
layery in their colonies encountered the neces-
sity of providing substitute for it. Hngland
has resorted to the contract system with coolies
from India. and France has adopted the plan of
freeing negroes by purchase on the coast of
Africa, and binding them TO service for term of
years in her colonies. The experiments thus
involve also determination of the physical ca
pacty for tropical labor by two distinct races of
men under similar conditions of climate and soil
All of the questions involved come directly
home to the people of the United States; for if it
can be proved that there is substitute for slave
labor superior to our system of slavery, then the
fate OF that system is decided. If, ON the con-
trary, the experiments in Mauritus and Reunion
fail. or are found to involve greater moral and
social difficulties than slavery ITSELF then the
result will give stability to the social system of
our Southern States such as it has never before
possessed
One of the fallacics of the humanitarians has
been completely exploded by the social expert
ments made in Jamaica and Spanish America.
1t is proved that unequal and dissonant races of
political rights. For this reason political sta
tsaS has not been conferred upon the bond labor
ers under the new system They have no vote,
they cannot sit upon juries, and they cannot pur-
sue claim at law except in certain prescribed
forms and courts. Thus far the experiments
have not determined what is the precise position
of these members of the community after their
term Of bond service has expired. They constitute
an anomaly not considered in the European
constitution Of society which. though strict in its
enforcement of class has no recognition of caste
In Mauritius the experiment is still too new to
determine this. OF those laborers whose first
term Of service has expired, many were re-en-
gagged. and few have saved money and return
ed to their old homes. Some of those who were
physically able to serve another term have re-
contracted. Others remained in Mauritius,
where they found occupation or lveli-
hood in the lowest labors of society as domestic
servants, vendors Of firewood coal, vegetables
&c. In the French island of Reunion this ques-
ton was postponed by arbitrarily extending the
term of service from five to ten years.
II is not at all evident as yet that this new
soclu system II IoUnueu upon pnuosOpnlc laws
or the principles necessary to permanent social
organization. Communities cannot everywhere.
either in the tropics out Of it, be filled with
population until labor can be obtained at starva-
ton prices, as is the case in the little island of
Barbados Neither is 1t wisdom to endeavor to
keep the price of labor at low point. The true
aim Of every society is so to increase the pro-
ductive power Of the individual that he may OBJ
tain high remuneration for his labor without
increasing the cost Of his product to the con-
sumner. This is not the philosophy Of the Coolic
and African contract labor systems. Their only
aim is to diminish the price Of unskilled labor.
Such system, ii would seem. can only end in
the creation Of large mass Of WORKOUT pau
pers. which eventually must weigh heavily upon
the community. If we do not mistake the indi-
cations in Mauritius. such a result seems to be
developing itself there.
TnE LAST MYSTERY CLEARING rP-We pub