The Hawaiian gazette., 1882-07-12
The Hawaiian Problem Letter FROM Gen.
s. c. Armstrong.

H,MrruN. Va. June Is, iSs2.
Enron GAzrrrt- write on account Of an arii-
Gle which Appeared In the GAzErTE of April 18th,
on -I.aborsrs' Quarters" This matter interested
me especially during my island visit in the sum
mer Of 1850. There seemed to be no difficulty as
10 the workmcn's rights OF treatment. Knocking
down Cinnamon vas a thing OF the past; for they
90 to law f0r that; Ascending Chinese with ad'
vance wages, and almost with IMMUNITY. was rather
the order Of the day.
Native laborrrs voted as they pleased marched
after a barbacue. with brass bands and flying
banners to the polls and voted the opposite ticket
and their saddcned employer could do nothing,
from the extreme scarcity Of labor which com
PEELED him to handle them with gloves. The
planters rather than the hands were bull-dozed
The political freedom OF the Hawaiian and his in.
dependence as a lab1Eor we're absolute; beyond
ANYTHING Of the Kind that know Of. be is poor
because be spends what he makes, and if he didn't
spend 1t himself the wretohed p'r,y sigtu ldeserv-
ing friends system would consume it.
Riding over the islands saw large gangs Of
men employed in the fields, and nobody seemed
hard worked but the oxen and mules for them
YOU need humane society and the planters them
selves. They were carsworu lot; my former
over the next days difficulties.
For all that ] piued the labOrer for the plain
house he lived In, for the absence Of wholesome
home influences. He had shelter and enough good
food but nothing 20 attract hun to his abode and
was evidently not ayerso 10 change. Most Of the
planters were staggering under heavy debts, and
compound interest hung over them like the sword
Of Dsrnocles. In that life and death struggle it
vas hardly to be expected that they would devote
themselves TO making their laborers quarters pic
turusque: but the labor problem was the hardest
and most serious uf all: 20 take hold Of It was to
take hold Of the luborer and his personal sur
rpuudinEs; the latter Shape man rs much as man
shapes them.
American slavery had its bright side in the rela.
tiuns Of master and slave. The "Oid Cabin Home"
Is one Of the oyeiest of our traditions. Its patr-
archal side its uutlriug devotion, was often AS
beautiful as It's traffic In human flesh was horrible.
Every man even the Chinaman, has tender spot
in him. and one who looks for It seldom fails to
iud it,
A care for laburCrs quarters i, believe, one Of
the best means Of improving the relation Of EN-
pl0yer and employee, Of adding to their mutual
profit and safety. The cost Of time and money
need be but trl1lng, Chrumos which cost si1
dollars hundred in the United States, or cuttings
from the illustrated papers only, scattered in the
quarters would be q good investment. / noticed 4
lack Of enclosure about workmeus homes; they
looked bars and dreary, with few exceptions.
This is hardly necessary In tropical climate.
How vines would add 20 them,
give up the Hawaiian as a voter or legislator.
He commits bari trIi with the ballot some
negro muiorities would have done. As a man,
however he is the pleaslntest fellow IN the world
The negro Is Jolly but far from coming up TO the
Hawaiians IN point of chronic cheer. The latter
Is wreathed III smiles and III flowers; see the i'm
prumptu cayalcade that grUsts one AZ every Ha-
vaiian port. never can forget the smiling faces
Of my couutrymeu' 1 long to see them again.
In politics they have taken the bit IN their mouth
and starnpeded. It's no use-giye them their head
and pray for a SKIP OF war IL port should there
be trouble; bat 20 20 their houses where their
homes are simple and transformations, and they
viii be crateful-though the leprOsy like leopard
al the door may be a terrible danger for many 10
face. Why not help them plant flowers and trees
around their cabins. and erect uuthOuses 50 that
they shall become attached 10 the place Just Mr..
Bond has done at Kohala. I saw signs of pains
taking at a few places, but generally there seemed
neglect. Mrs. Rufus Lyman. IN her plain Hamakua
home was doing "a beautiful work for her hus-
bands laborers. Look out for the -quarterss l
was interested III your account of Messrs. NOde-
house and CleChorus tour Of Oahu. The success
of the MO-mons at Ilaie Is significant At Waia-
nae even the Gilbert Islanders are happy; what
Waianas has done all Hawaii can do
Doctors rather than soldiers seem to be the need
Of the islands The Hawaiian is the sick man Of
the Pacific. Military and other nonsense Is killing
the natives by divgrtiug attention and resources
from the terrible facts Of the day, to provide
against which an army Of physicians IS better than
an army Of useless loafers-
There Is a wrong in that CNtravagaut palace. Its
inaugural ball VIII be the peoples death dance.
The native perishes with his simplicity.
Those Of Us are fortunate who knew the old time
Kanaka with bis kindly aloha; a child Of the
tropics. famed by lts gentle winds, fed from its
generous boBnty- but 70 be poisoned and swept
away by the gales OF civilization. May the days
that remsin 10 this race be made as peaceful and
happy as possible. ). G. Armstrong.