Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-12-16
SLAVES ON OCEAN ISLANDS,
The Navassa Incident Urges Legislation
Favorable to Labor Interests.


The island of Navassa, in the West Indian
group, has, under the provisions of Title 70, of
the Revised Statutes, been recognized by the
President as appertaining to the United States.
1t contains guano deposits, is owned by the Ma
Vassa Phosphate Company, and occupied solely
by It's employees In september, 1889, a revolt
took place among these Iaborers, resulting in
the killing of some of the agents of the COM
pany, caused. as the laborers claimed, by cruel
treatment These men were arrested and tried
In the United States court at Baltimore, under
Section 5576, of the sta tute referred to, if the
offenses had been committed on board mer-
chant vessel of the United States on the high
seas. There appeared on the trial, and other
wise came to me, such evidence of the bad treat
ment of the men that in consideration of this
and of the fact that the men bad no access to
any public officer tribunal for protection Orthe
redress of their wrongs, l committed the death
sentences that had been passed by the court up
on three of them. In April last my attention
was again called to this island and to the
regulated condition of things there, by letter
from cOlored laDorer, who claimed that he
was wrongfully detained upon the island by the
phosphate company after the expiration of his
to examine into, the case of this
man and generally into the condition
of things on the island. 1t was found that the
laboreT referred to had been detained beyond
the contract limit, and that condition of re-
volt again existed among the laborers.
board of naval officers reported, among ether
further that the discipline maintained on the
island seems to be that of a convict establish
ment without its comforts and cleanliness, and
that, until more attention is paid to the ship
ping of laborers, by placing it under govern
ment supervision to prevent misunderstanding
and Misrepresentation, and until some ameliOra-
ton is shown in the treatment of the laborerS,
these disorders will be of constant occurrence"
recommend legislation that shall place la Dor
contracts upon this snd other islands having
the relation that Navassa has to the United
States under the supervision of court commits
sioner. and that shall provide, at the expense of
the owners an officer to reside upon the islands,
with power to judge and adjust disputes, and to
enforce a just and humane treatment of the
employees. 1t is inexcusable that American
labOrers should be left within own jurisdic
ton without access to any government officer or
tribunal for their protection and the redress of
their wrongs.
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March s, 1891, with Belgium, France, Great
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