The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-01-12
Il PACIFIC
Commercial AOOcrtlset.
SATURD4 y. JANUARY II
CONVICT VS.. FREE LABOR.

shouIu De strictly regulated by law, In sucn
manner as not to conflict with the rights and in
terests of private citizens who obey the laws
lead orderly lives, and, by their taxes, supper
the Government in all its various departments
The duties Of the Government and people are re
cIprocal; and neither can fail in the performance
Of its duty without injury to the other. Accept
ing these views as axioms, we propose very BRIEFLY
to examine their bearing upon our system o
prison labor.
In the first place, we think no one will assert
that the competition of convict with free labor is
or can be anything but degrading to the latter
Labor, unrestrained, is honorable to all. InVol-
untary or forced labor, especially labor accom-
panied by imprisonment for crime, is not emo
bled by competition with free labor, while the
latter shrinks from the contact with aversion.
1t may be conceded that what is called Hard La
Dor, i. e., breaking stone for building and repair
ing roads, quarrying, and work Of similar kind
for the Government, is proper work for conVIcts,
and not likely to come in competition with free
labor, and therefore the only strictly legitimate
labor for prisoners. Convicts should not be al
lowed to do any kind of work which free men
seek, and are willing to do. Citizens should not
desire nor be allowed to hire prison labor because
it is cheaper, to the exclusion of free labor, even
at higher rates. Hawaiian taxpayers should not
be obliged to compete with the cheap labor of
those they are taxed to support-cheaper because
measured by a money standard. They cannot
but become dissatisfied and inpatient at such I'M
fairness and discrimination, which deprives them
of work. Who has not seen gangs of convicts
at work along the docks and able bodied men
standing idly by, who would gladly take their
places at a fair wage? The Government Injuries
itself in the estimation of it's Hawaiian subjects
by this farming out of the labor Of the convicts
in its charge. An able bodied man, who has,
perhaps a family to support, goes down to the
docks or through the town, seeking for work-in
vain,-and secs u gang of prisoners (whose food
and clothing his taxes help to procure) doing the
work which he would gladly do, and which for
merly the Government allowed him to do by not
completing with him, for competition it is, as
now managed, and nothing else. A great deal
has been said and written about the want of in
dustrious habits among the Hawaiians, but what
else can be expected from such a state of things?
We consider it to be the duty of the Government to
encourage industry instead of depressing it by
lLO SOhlp ClltiOll luilOuS W luOSC WIN are
obliged to labor for their daily bread.
We do not think free labor is too highly paid
and those citizens who hire convict labor in pref
erence, on the score of its greater cheapness, we
consider fail in their duty to society, inasmuch
as by so doing they discourage industry, and fos-
ter or enforce idleness and its consequent train
of evils.
There are many industrious Hawalians who
have only the labor of their hands by which to
earn an income and shall they be longer obliged
to look idly on at the unpaid convict labor which
compels them so to look? The %convicts have no
choice in the matter: they are not affected by
the competition, and can have no sympathy or
feeling in Common with those who are. They
are not benefited by the money received for their
labor, and might as well work for nothing, SO far
as they are concerned and if they did, it would
be only carrying the principle to its legitimate
extreme.
How much longer shall such a state of things
continue? 1t belongs to the next Legislature to
say. Legislative action alone can correct the
evil and We trust that we shall not be disap-
pointed in the hope that some member may be
found equal to the occasion, and competent to
ASbL N"N q W q VI lAlS StCui dnu CIN-
ing evil.
We have heretofore raised our voice against
this great wrong, and we again implore those in
power, who have the authority, to devise some
measure if possible, to remove all Just cause
of complaint without waiting for the Legislature,
and thereby at once to improve the condition Of
our labOring population.
THERE APPEARS to be no manner of doubt that
the German government have got a cession of
territory, consisting of a harbor, from the Ton
gan goVernment-if such there be diplomatIcally
speaking. 1t seems odd that the European pow
ers come out here to Oceanica in search of terri
tory, which the poor islanders cede to them un-
Willingly, never rejecting that the moment a
foreign flag is planted on their islands, sooner or
later their native independence is sure to become
4 dead letter. The present condition of these
Hawaiian Islands proves that the best government
for all the islanders of Oceanica is a native govern
ment like the Hawaiian, under Kings of their
own race. Let the islanders cf Oceanica look
around them, and contrast the condition of the
Hawalians as a nation with that of the Maoris,
Tahitians, Marquesans, Javanese, natives of the
Philippines, New Caledonians or Fiiians, or any
other natives of Oceanic Islands where the white
man has raised his flag. How deplorable it is to
see the SamOans, our near neighbors, instead of
endeavoring to initiate the independent Hawa-
iians by establishing a united Samoan native king
dom, rushing with open arms to the Americans,
the British or Germans, imploring to he taken
under protection" The poor dupes little
know what such a ''protectorate :" implies. 1t
is absurd to deny that the white man, even in
the best Of circumstances, is inclined to treat the
eolored man with contempt and injustice, when
the latter is in his power. On the neighboring
continents of North and South America, what
has become of the native Indian race? On the
of Asia and Africa, under the British
flag, where are the fruits of Christianity and
civilization to be found amongst Hindus or Kafrs,
at all comparable to the blessings enjoyed by the
independent Hawaiians? 1t is no utopian
scheme to desire to see q mixed race gradually