The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1885-06-05
POPULATION AND LABOR.

greater Importance to this nation,
than that of the settlement of its
land. Prove that there is not room
in the kingdom for a commanding
class of independent producers, and
then store all the national standards
and paraphernalia in the museums
of the world. All the owners of
great plantations and cattlc-runs
that can be accommodated upon the
territory of the group, with all the
merchants, mechanics and pro-
fessionals that the operations Of the
classes aforementioned will afford Il
scope to, will not make q nation.
They may constitute material for
very respectable community, and
withal a harmonious one so long as
there is not too much competition i'll
each of the limited number of dis
tinct interests. Wealth cannot be
produced without labor. Therefore,
in system where most of the
wealth obtained from natural re-
sources accrues to but u few, there
must be an abnormal proportion of
inhabitants in virtual servitude. BY
due course of natural law of
humanity, the servilc population
must either rise above its servility
or sink to lower depths. 1t will,
also, become elevated or debased
rather by generations than by indi-
viduals. Educate the children of
slavish toilers, and they will come
out of school upon plane higher
than that occupied by their pro-
genitors. They will be worth more
to the world, and, knowing their
value to be enhanced over that of
their parents, will demand the
difference from the lords of the soil
who would secure their services.
If refused their price, one of two
results would be almost certain to
ensue. They would go abroad to
find better market for their labor.
The land proprictors would then
have to look for help of the grade
they were willing to pay for, and the
country would lose both the young
men and what had been invested in
their education. Or, they would
remain in the country, where, but a
very small proportion having oppor-
tunities for an independent liveli-
hood, the majority of them would
be liable to be idlers; certainly use
less and probably vicious; all the
more clever for rascality they might
drift into, for the sharpening Of
their wits in school. There is a
third possible eventuality notable.
The young people might, upon
second thought, decide that even
the bondage to them hereditary was
better than either exile or idleness,
and so assume their fathers yoke.
And what, in that case! Would
they form class of laborers like
their sires? Certainly not in all
points. With n superior intelligence
they would be less amcnable to un-
just taskmastcrship, Their pride of
manhood more highly developed,
they would be eXacting of increased
consideration as fellow-beings of
their employers. And, once in
what they deemed sufficiently large
numbers and influence, they would
seize occasions to force better terms
for themselves. TO suppose-re-
turning to the starting point-a con-
dition of things in which the labor
ing classes were kept, so far as
possible, in ignorance to perpctu-
ate their servility, would be too
absurd, almost, for this day. 1t
would take an empire that could
defy the world, or y state that
could hide from the gaze of the