The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-05-25
WHITE LABOR AND THE TREATY

sugar plantations" Is one Of the
Nightmares now being ridden to
death by the band of Americans
now lending their efforts to secure
the abrogation Of the Reciprocity
Treaty. We do not forget the
labor policy Of Hawaii has been de-
cidedly lame and short sighted IN
the past; too many of the leaders
here have governed their action
according to the theory "We're
liable to be brought to account
some day, but we might as well
make the best of 1t while we may"
1t Is useless to hide mistakes when
they are self evident.
At the same time the people of
the United States should not be
allowed to run away with the idea
that the national labor policy here
has always received unanimous
sanction. For years past men have
argued, with apparently indiffer-
ent success, in favor of a larger
importation of white laborers.
Their pathway has not always been
strewn with boquets, but as right
principles are bound to win in the
long run, the arguments have been
continually pushed to the front and
practically demonstrations occa-
sionally secured. Large bodies
move slowly and progressive move
ments do not develop the full
bloom Of altruistic results in day.
The advocates Of white labor have
faced many difficulties. Some
have been overcome, others have
not.
The fact remains however, that
at the present day the majority of
the plantation owners are prepared
to make more radical moves than
ever before. They see the neces-
sity for checking the tendencies
resulting from the old system and
are prepared to act. Contract lab
or, once considered an absolute
necessity viii soon be a thing of
the past. The demand for Asiatic
will follow along the same lines
provided our foreign commercial
relations are not disturbed by ar
bitrary action ON the part of the
United States.
Our friends in the United States
must recognize that when business
relations Of twenty years standing
are upset on short notice progress
stops, for a time at least. There
is not time for experiments when
industrial and commercial condi-
tons receive the severe shaking up
that would follow the abrogation
of the Reciprocity Treaty. When
a building is shaken by an earth
quake the builders have to devote
their attention to reconstruction.
Finishing touches must be post
poned and possibly abandoned.
Just so the abrogation of the
Treaty will knock the efforts of the
white labor advocates into a cooked
hat at a time when they are about
to achieve a fair degree of success
and accomplish much to uplift the
citizenship of Hawaii as viewed
from an American standpoint.
Whether Hawaii is controlled
by the Orient or the Occident now
rests with the United States Senate.
Abrogation of the Treaty viii as
sist the former. The continuation
of present relations will enable the
planters TO continue the work for
higher development, secure Europ-
can or American labor and thereby
raise the standard Of citizenship,
as found in the cane fields, to a
point that will satisfy the most
radical American labor advocate.
Some one may say ''The plan
tiers took no action favorable to
white labor until their sugar mar
ket was threatened" We deny
this assertion. Movements tending
to revolutionize the whole labor