The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1868-10-17
TIE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
OCTOBER II


NrCH has been sail, and muCh written ON the
labor question in this country. The coolic system
has been attacked with more or les violence, and
has been defended with moro or less ability-we
must acknowledge, az a general thing, it has been
with less- Tie one eide a. II conscious Of the mi
putty 0r the frads has been out-poken in It's Gun
dennatiOn Of it, while the other, a. ifaware oftbe
weakness Of its cause has almost entirely rcsorted
70 a line Of argument az amusing a. II il original
viz by cautiouins the public against any dis
eussion Of the question whatever, a. tending 20
bring discredit upon the country. and 10 cause the
alienation Of the rymIathy Of other countries.
It Is indeed u pitiable state OF ailirs when n
free Government like this finds its pct measure.
which has been naturcd and perfected by the
united wisdom Of a ministry who have arrogated
to themselves all the political and moral wisdom
Of the country, 30 ~palTably against tie spirit Of
the age that the mere discussion Of il causes even
them TO blush AMI tremble before tho indignant
gaze attracted by such discussion.
We are are gratIfed 10 learn that one Of the
ministers who has lately been out to see and learn
something Of the wOrld-we think il would do
Others % them good 70 travels reported to lave
cOms home with the impression that the eDOlie
trade is hardly tie thing, and ia order that we
shall continue to be respected by the great people,
who, we are just beginning to find, are able to
make or mar our prospects,. We must abolish
it altogether or, in other words, If we are to ask
n favor of tho only power whose favor il really
worth the asking, We must appear before il with
at least n fair claim to christian moralIty.
Alas for The trissa human nature Alas for
the least oppressive bondage, The most philoso-
nI..n 81 L.-.-- - =. % -.
wise and munifcent legislation, The most scien-
thfc search after the gOOd of the L. scum ofeastern
civilization ?" Alas for almost every thing minis
teFiai = The wise ones who have ~ rcSulatssIfs.''
until the little good originally in it has been well
nigh lost, have discovered that it Is positively
immoral and must be put a stop to- Good,
There must always lie some great mind to lead
the masses up to a higher sense Of right and to a
higher civilization. And who - well fitted to
lead this people into the night, as lac who, Occu-
plying almost the highest pinnacle Of fame and
power, who. throughout all the struggle from OBJ
security 10 eminencc has never trampled ON n prin-
ciplc, nor like an assassin, stabbed i'm the back
any unfortunate rival who might stand between
him and his object! Mznifcstly no one. lie
knows what Is right, and with his natural candor
and independence, will not hesitate TO let the
world know what 10 il. Well indeed will il be
for US il we but delcrcntially listen to and silently
obey his behcsts. And If in time it dawns upon
his mind that the bondage Of the coolies who have
been introduced here 10 labor under circumstances
50 revolving to philanthropi-ts il no more nor diff
ferent in its essential points than contracted Mature
labor under the laws of this kingdom. and that
its evils should be remcdied, We would do well to
IL would be well to say nothing on the subject
however, until he discovers its wickcdness. Be
cause if we did we might possibly bring the bIush
to his and his colleagues faces. AMI we might
show the world that a native-bon Hawaiian, who
signs a contract to labor for n term Of years-ac-
cording 10 the laws Of this kinglom-simTly scIls
himself for that time, u not for a longer period,
and has no rights whatever, except perhaps the
right to vote and immunity from the whipping
poet. different from that a slave would have.
We might even be compelled 80 far a to show
that the whole action 1t the Government ON this
all important Libor question has been directly OF
posed to the well-being and prosperity OF this
and It's people. That IL has had and II
having the eject 10 dcmOralibc and dcbase tire Ia
boring classes whereas. labor should haye the cf=
to sLerafe and create in the breast Of every
laboring man a proud consciousness Of indePend-
sncc and personal usefulness: But we had better
not do so for, rs they tell Us, d" let the truth once
ct abroad, and foreign nations will think we arc
what we pretend to bc-a free and enlightened
under Il free and fostering government"