Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-10-21
SLAVERY IN HAWAII.
A REsIDENr AMERICAN ENDORSES
Mr.. BENEDICK'S STATEMENTS.

Law Universally Condemned ~
Dlsgraceful, Indecent, and Intoler.
able-How the Slaves are Compelled
to Serve . Double Length Of Time
ETC., Etc.
Honolulu, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS,
September, 1884.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HALEY
QDAHo) TIMES: As many mis-state-
ments and ialsehoods have been writ
ten about one Henry Benedick, who
not long since served out term Of
years on one OF the Hawaiian planta.
tons and in prison, will, by your
permission, give my version of the
affair. Articles taken from your jour-
nal are being freely copied here, with
and without comment, in order to con.
vey the idea that the whole of his
statements are fabrications, because
he enormously stated the amount Of
the population OF the Sandwich
Islands.
The population OF these Islands to-
day believe to be about $4,000; ma
tives $4,000, including at least 900 at
the lcper settlement, and it is safe to
say that at least quarter of the bal
ance of the natives are tainted with
leprosy or an incurable malady So
called. The Chinese now number
nearly 10000; the Americans anc
Europeans about $4,000, one-thire
Europeans; 5000 is made up of othe
nationalities, japanese, Lascars, Eas
, Indiamen, Australians, Maories, ant
Men Eaters from the South Seas
!, whose posterity in future will b
i sough: after to be exhibited in all civ
ilized countries-even the Africa
Bushmen (native) will view them wit
amazement and as their inferior.
Mr.. Benedick's statement, as it ar
pears IN your paper, is nearly but nc
|. wholly correct. personally knew hi
). here, and saw him whilst under serv
10 tude in the Honolulu Jail, for ka'
4 aka crime of refusing to work und'
a labor contract-the backbone of Il
slavery of these islands, and a la
which all civilization, except countri
like this, condemn as disgraceful, j
decent, and intolerable. Mr.. Ben
r. dick is not the only American or E
ropean, by many scores, who ha
r. been numerically immured in o
prisons here, ard condemned to ser'
q, in penal servitude, associated w
4 Kanakas, Chinese, and other natlo
~ cutthroats, thieves, robbers, assassi
Migrants and vagabonds; and all tt
as rule, for, in reality, daring to
vocate freemen's rights and justic
b;s American experience by such imp
Of onment thus gained, has speedily s.
these unfortunates hence to lnh
II, the pure and free air of the in
-, peudent freedom Of the United Sta
These laborers have been obi!
., to work 30 and 40 days (count
extra hours of course) for u mon'
No., work, with an oft-repeated arbitr
~ reduction of from two to eight
lars month for violating planta'
=. rules-and all this with no red
from our courts. The amount
49, these fines and other arbitrary and
legal and urwarrantable mulcting
piled on by the planter for the
pose OF lengthening the time OF
Ole slaves service, with the sinister az
lext to take another term out OF the
9th, fortunate, who is generally hell
lay and resigned to his fate from
llley absence of, even, forlorn hope!
'"se' may mention that these lab'
eek. have worked for $14 to SIS
ttee nor tn, and been fed in most insta
ally on the coarsest of food obtainabi'
the The Missionary and Planters
have dictate owning most of our planta
&c OF are responsible, and endeavorin
and continue to hold that system OF
e al cry which, at the present time,
ooks in bondage probably $4,000 peo1
portion of whom are Americans
, der the circumstances brought
bv the Hawaiian treaty with
ny !" United States of America. This
=. dictate has Rad the opportun't'
."'S bring from $4,000 to 10000 CT
'a'e" for their own sole and individual
~ eft. and when and so soon al