The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-10-01

our warmeet disputants on this question, but one
which cannot be too strongly presented'-that on
the face of the earth, and in all recorded history,
there is no instance whatever of a white race be-
coming the successful tillers of the soil between
the two tropics. Nay, more, it is in the highest
degree problematicaI whether within that limit
q white race, as a race, can maintain its existence
at all. 1t is an established fact that anywhere,
within the tropics on the whole circle of the
globe. some or other of the dark races increase in
a greater ratio than the white races, and unless
constantly replenished from the temperate zone
the white races would die out. They are inter-
lopers, exotics-they cannot till the soil for them
selves, and if they call in the aid of one of the
vital dark races to do it for them, the latter in
crease the faster of the two-which means that
in time, and unless replenished, the whites would
become extinct.
In taking a hasty glance over the map of the
world between the two parallels, 22t > north and
221 . south, and commencing in Mexico, through
the Central American States, andalong to Ecuador,
Peru, Brazil and the Guianas, it is notorious
that the dark and mixed races are increasing in a
much greater ratio than the white races, and the
cultivation of the soil has to be done by them.
In the West India Islands the African race have
it nearly all their own way, some large and fer
tile islands have been abandoned to them, others
naturally as valuable, might almost as well be,
for where waste land abounds, this race do not
choose to work, and wherever possible Chinese or
East India laborers have been introduced. Some
small islands like Barbados, which had a large
colOred population and a small governing class
of whites. seem very prosperous. No Chinese or
Indian coolies are wanted there, the native popu-
lation is sufficient, for they have only the choice
to work or starve, as there are no waste lands to
squat on. This is what is called 90 fire" labor.
In the whole of tropical Africa the whites have
never gained a foothold. In tropical Asia, though
a large portion-Hindostan-has been occupied
for generations by the British,-where is the
British race? 1t does not exist there. 1t has
proved TO be almost too great a drain on the
English population even to occupy it with their
soldiers. Contrast this fact with the instance of
New Zealand, only settled by the English in our
day. There the race has already struck root in
the soil, in the face of a warlike opposing native
population. But then the one land is in the
torrid, the other in the temperate zone. In the
small tropical islands of Bourbon and Mauritius,
an enormous production has been realized by a
~" "N, 0N SN vi hBOAtS0
East Indian laborers. In the tropical islands of
the Eastern Archipelago what do we find? A
few ruling Europeans and a large working popu-
lation of dark colored natives or immigrating
Chinese. Sir John Bowring, whose experience
in the East is well known, in an article entitled
{" Recollections of Java published in the Fort
nightly RerieOo of April, 1866, speaking of that
island, says: "The climate must forever ex-
clude European competition from the field of
manual toll. Settlers from temperate regions can
nerer be the actual cuhiratOrS Of tropical lands,
or do more than assist cultivation by the encour-
agements which capital, improved machinery,
organization of labor and other facilities may
bring. China, from her superAuous and suffer-
ing sometimes starving population, has poured
forth millions to supply the demand for willing
hearts and active hands,
Indeed, this fact that the white races can never
be available for the main cultivation of tropical
lands has elsewhere been generally admitted.
Here in Hawaii alone the contrary has been
tacitly assumed. On what grounds or from what
experience we should be glad to be informed.
Is not all our territory within the two tropical
parallels? those lines, imaginary, it is true, but
expressive of the physical fact that our lands are
gu W nv VI IL L Ill. w are III
the torrid zone, and We cannot escape the effects
of the physical laws which that circumstance i'm
poses on us. A low, moist valley of alluvial
soil, and a vertical sun pouring into it, is where
the sugar-cane luxuriates, and the white man
droops.
The question recurs if our native population
is fast decreasing. and if all experience proves
that white men cannot cultivate our lands, or
even maintain themselves in adequate numbers
on our soil, to what race shall we look to people
the country and save us from stagnation or
decay? Our near neighbor, "China, from her
superfluous and suffering sometimes starving
population is ready to supply US with the men
who can till our soil and are willing to do so.
They are coming, they are increasing in this
Kingdom in a faster ratio than any other people.
1t is only a question of how long before our pop
ulation will be returned something as follows
Natives, 4 $1,000 whites, $4,000; Chinese, co.
600. The province of the whites will then be,
as now, to do no more than assist cultivation
by the encouragement which capital, improved
machinery, organization of labor and other
facilities may bring" That is to say, there is be-
ing repeated here what has taken place in every
tropical country on earth, which has beepEat1
tempted to be settled by white people, them
cumstance that the mass of the outdoor laborfng
population becomes composed of the dark races,
if not of native, of either East Indian, African
or Chinese descent, guided and governed by a
comparatively few people of European origin.
Now, if there is truth in these views and state
the latter at least are open to direct
if incorrect-does it not alter, must it
not anfiralu 0honra the live or r
many of our worthy fellow citizens on a number
of points connected with this labor question ?
Arguments which appear to have been advanced
with more zeal than knowledge or discretion.
During the discussion, we have heard a good
deal about the Constitution, and whether certain
portions of our laws are constitutional, and par