The Hawaiian gazette., 1891-01-20
Plantation Labor.

ers nv views anent Javanese coohe
labor. that nv temerity would involve
me in q literary duello with your pseudo
nvmous correspondent, Lyndhurst."
sail less did 1 seek it. But since he has
chosen to throw down the gauntlet, and
moreover, seeing that the ADVERTISER In
an editorial on this question has nailed
its colors to the mast, accept his chal-
lenge. and trust that may prove foe
not unworthy OF his steel.
1.-The art of writing" says James Rus
sell Lowell, Consists chiefly in knowing
what to leave in the ink pot" 1 do not
know whether "Lyndhurst " is familiar
with this pithy aphorism OF the mimi
tablelAmerican humorist here quoted. l
reckon not, for had he been he would
probably not have fallen into the
lamentable error of betraying himself
into saving things that will scarcely
stand critical examination. As it IS, he
is in some danger OF being defeated with
his own weapons, for in his preambu-
larry sentences this morning he exhibits
a sublime disregard of one OF the funda-
mental principles OF all rational and
logical controversy, to wit: the absolute
necessity OF arguing from facts known,
admitted or proved to be true.
Let us goa little methodically to work IN
our ANALYSIS of this epistolary produc-
ton and deal with its six COM
ponent paragraphs successfully. "Lynd-
hurst ito use sporting parlance-opens
the first round by dealing me a regular
"facern He says, in effect, that de-
lberately question his honesty OF pur-
pose. II he will have the goodness, how
ever, once more to refer to yesterdays
ADVERTISER, he will find that l very dis
tinctly absolve him from having any I'M
worthy motive whatever. Besides, look
YOU, by preserving his incognito he
places me somewhat at disadvantage,
and for all l know he may be a large
sugar planter himself, IN which case
should be all the more pleased il | could
succeed in bringing him little nearer
TO my own way of thinking. These re-
marks WILL | think, efectually dispose
OF paragraph number one.
My combative opponent next proceeds
to tell us,what had half surmised, that
the information upon which he bases
his arguments is derived from books,you
know, "on Javanese and on sugar plan
tations and plantation labor in general"
Just so. And from his silence upon the
subject do not suppose | shall be guilty
of jumping at conclusions il l draw the
inference that this silence may be con-
strued into a tacit admission that he has
not personally had any dealings with
Javanese, either in their character OF
freemen or as coolies. Now, sir, we are
ali pretty well aware of the fact that at
thors OF books of travel from time imme-
mortal are prone now and again to allow
themselves to be carried away by their
enthusiasm and TO draw a little on the i'm
agination of their readers. Neither
Herodotus in the past nor Stanley in the
present age, Coryphees among travellers
though they be, have been acquitted as
altogether free from this human weak
ness, and the noble savage in full
war paint is generally presented in the
most attractive coleur-de-rose. l am
really very sorry so rudely to dispel his
illusion, but "Lyndhurst" may safely
Jake my word for it that the amiable and
gentle native he reads about in Sir
Thomas Stamford Raftle's QS1l-16}
History of Java" and in Wallace's
,1S54-62y The Malay Archipelago" IS
a very different individual from the Ma
lay coolie of to-day. If intended for Eek
portation" he is selected from the worst
scum of society-otherwise the astute
Mynheers would not part with him
and has been accustomed to getting
more kicks than halfpence. would no
more compare him to the free-born ma
tives Of Java than would draw parallels
between the piratical ruffians who re-
Gently made the dastardly raid upon the
British steamer Namoa to the well-bred
Mandarine students-with a skin almost
as fair as that Of any white woman, In
gorgeous silk gowns and gold spectacles
-(they recalled to my mind the words
OF the Scriptures, :" Not even Solomon in
all his glory was arrayed like one of
these" Whom have seenin the library
at Hong Kong porting over the classics
in the original or reading scientific works
in the modern languages far too abstruse
for my own poor comprehension, land who
are now positively engaged upon trans
iation OF Shakespeare into Chinese. But
d ll4uCC " 0lSLSoSlOllSs hNAAA N1o1
then comes to my support by quoting
some book or brochure-about the name
OF which he does not enlighten us-on
the plantation laborers in Queensland |
which, it seems, confirms my statement |
about the trouble which the Javanese |
coolies gave their employers. And here |
he brings into the attack the heaviest |
ordnance of his artillery with which he |
is going to demolish me- This is it |
20 Plantations using Javanese over
seers { p were very successful with their
men while plantations using white
were in trouble all the time |
because they did not understand how to
manage their men. Possibly Mr.. Viggo |
Jacobsen was one of the overseers re-
ferred to-" Maybe l was. And l own
that this is what the convivial Dick
Swiveller would call a regular "stagger-
er." Well, l am crushed, but l dare say
1 shall survive it. The fact is, "most
too, it happens" that on the
particular plantation on which l was en-
gagged we had two Javanese ''gangers "
4 never heard the term overseer applied
to them who had the entire confidence
OF the coolies. and who acted as inter
prefers and middle-men between them
and myself would simply give them
my instructions, and leave them as much
as DOSsihla IN their own daviSaS Tbav |