The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-09-03

or elsewhere, zee heartily endorse and encourage.
But it must be FREE, in the broadcast sense OF the
word. The recent introduction of sixty-hye labor
ers from China, by the bark r. W. Wood, shows
how and what kind Of laborers may be obtained,
when procured properly. These men came Volun-
tarily, landed here free to select their employers,
and they are now working in various occupations
as best suits their capacities.
3.-The tain imposed by the ordinance of the
Board of immigration, %forbidding the importa-
ton of laborers by private parties has been
allowed to become practically a dead letter in the
case of the Woods passengers. Yet the or
dlnance should be repealed, as the threat made
in it tends to deter any from encouraging I'M
migration.
4.-If Government withdraws from the posi-
ton of principal. and acts as the guardian OF
these strangers and tabOrerS, it will be a more
digni6ed position, and the only proper one for it
to assume. Private parties will at all times be
found ready to bring all the labOrers wanted,
asking from those who may need them an adj
vance of ten to twenty dollars each, or whatever
may be required to outfit them at the port of de-
parture in Europe or China. The stated intro
duction of say one hundred such laborers from
any quarter, OuCc ii year Il OltCAiCi, nHh ouPPJ
all our labor needs, in ample abundance and at
small cost.
5.-Tbe Master and Servant Law has been
thoroughly discussed during the past few months,
and declared to be unconstitutional by the highest
legal counsel in the Kingdom. The recent de-
cision of Justice Hartwell tends the same way,
though the constitutionality of the law was not
up for investigation before him. Its penal clause
is repugnant to the spirit of Christianity, if not
to the letter of the Constitution. Like the law
of imprisonment for debt, it can only be viewed
as a relic of barbarism, which must be wiped out
from our statute book.
6.-While some condemn contracts an toto, we
consider them a necessity in every branch Of in
dustry but they should be entered into for the
shortest term tina. will reimburse the expenditure
consequent upon the introduction of the laborer.
Where they are knowingly and intelligently en-
tered into, they are productive of mutual benefit
to the employer and employed. But a free
laborer should not be compelled 10 degrade him
self TO The Aerel Of a felOn, as the only condition
on which he can obtain employment. This is
morally and socially degrading, and prevents
some of our plantations from obtaining native
laborers, where, if the clause was abrogated,
there would be no difficulty in procuring them.
No labor contracts made abroad should be valid
here.
THE adoption of these principles, with
such notifications as time may suggest, we be-
lieve will conserve the best interests of not only
the laboring classes, but of employers and all
others. They will tend to create contentment,
and good will on the part of the
1ohOrar and thus secnre tho hiohast possihle ad-
to the employer, increasing his bust
ness prosperity, and insuring the security of his
property and person. They simply call for the
mutual practice of humanity and kindness be-
tween master and servant, and will here produce
the same results they produce everywhere. We
- not say nor wish it inferred that all our planta-
tons are not humanely conducted but that the
system in vogue tends to foster abuse and an
These are the principles which we have calmly
and conscientiously advocated, and to
we propose to adhere as long as we con-
duct this Journal. If we are right, we shall
have popular support; if we are in error, we
can neither hope nor desire to be prospered. No
threats from individuals or combinations shall
cause us to abandon our principles; though at
IiO ouhiO libOs VIC u dlhdy OHSh " anu
We once thought that South Sea
were the best element to introduce here
TO replenish our population, and give us fresh
Government having given the expert
ment two trials, and found that they are not a
suitable class, we yield our opinion, convinced
that We must look to other quarters for laborers,
Ind cheerfully award Government all the credit
1ue for making the experiment, costly as it has
been.
Some of the ideas expressed in the Legislative
debates as well as in communications from CORE
We cannot endorse. We insert them
because our columns are intended to be an i'm
partial record of news, and are open and free to
Ill who wish to use them, though they may differ
,ntirely from us. The editorial columns of any
oaper generally reflect the sentiments of it's pub
ishpr and editors.