The morning call., 1893-03-09

with a genuinely French shrug of the shoul-
der, "All white mans trouble. We no in
it," Many of the haf-whiteS. on the con-
trary, appear to entertain strong resent
ment against the Provisional Government, a
sentiment doubtless due to the fact that it
was an important part Of the policy both of
Kalakaua and If his sister, to conciiatc and
cater to the half-whites. a class embodying,
as a rule, all the vices Of the white man
with few of the virtues of either race. The
rallying-cry of the anti-foreign party
Hawaii for the Hawaiians"-means, if
acts are indication of ideas and motives,
Hawaii for the half-castes."
If some of the Eastern newspaper writer's
who have been so free in telling the people
of the United States what they do not know
about Hawaii had merely thought to avail
themselves of the returns from The latest
census, they would have avoided making at
least few OF the many blunders into which
they have fallen. In 1890 the total pOpula-
tion OF the Islands was S9.990, of which 34.-
436 were natives, 6lS6 half-castes, 1928
Americans, 1874 Britons, 1034 Germans,
SG02 Portuguese, 800 japanese, 1j, ,301
Chinese. 227 Norwegiaus, 20 French, Poly
nesians 5S8, other foreigners 4l9, and
Hawaiian born Of foreign parentage 1887
Tie Chinese and japanese are all, or nearly
all, imported contract laborers, a system
prevailing here to an enormous extent, and
are not enfranchised.
The Chinese immigration Is largely
on the decrease. while that from Japan
is increasing. In July last there were
only about t4,705 Chinese in the coun-
try and 1855 japanese. There are 2091
registered Portuguese voters, the same
number that was in the country when their
further registration was cut off under the
constitution of 1887. The Portuguese, too are,
for the most part, contract laborers. from
the Azores. This same question of
contract labor is bound 10 become a serious
one in the islands in the event of annexa-
ton. Just now the planters have all the
labor they need imported for them by the
Government, and under existing terms they
are paying about SIS per month to each
laborer If laborer becomes dissatisfied
and runs off, the police authorities hunt
him up and return him to duty; if one is
refractory or refuses to work, the strong
arm Of the law reaches out to lay hold upon
him aad reason with him 'for his own
good" lie generally finds it will conduce
to his well being to go back to his knitting.
Those have seen are a sorry-looking lot,
anu ohOA bldillclo anu LDlliUlEtl do L uhNo
talked with admit freely that as laborers
they are not worth much There are con-
tracts for labor entered into by the
Hawaiian Government extending for about
five years from the present tine, which will
have to be held to, and for which treaty
provisions will undoubtedly be made; but,
of course, under United States law, NJ more
may be entered into, and certainly if con-
tracts are not made free labor can never
be procured at existing contract pr ices.
So-called free labor is Just now
cheaper than the contract labor, be-
cause since the Mckinley bill became
law, the planters. who are now only
mixing what in California would be
deemed legitimate profits where, before.
under the reciprocity treaty, they were
realizing 80, 60 and even Is per cent profits
from sugar, have forced all save contracted
wages down. Enormous fortunes have
been made here in the last few years beau
tful houses have sprung up on every hand 1;
the people are hospitable. generous. eul-
tured. leisurelY. Nature has surrounded