The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-08-25
LABOR,

The labor problem of these islands
is one which will take and is taking
the very best thought that can be
given to it. Asiatic labor, which
we have used, it is evident that we
cannot go on using. The presence
of Asiatic labor has done us injury,
and will continue to do so. But
radical change can only be brought
about by slow degrees. Any sud
den change would be both mad
visable and detrimental. 81.
1t is very easy thing to point
out that the use of any particular
kind OF labor is detrimental. One
has only to point out the worst
characters of race in order to give
it bad name. Thus the Italian
can be put down as treacherous,
given to murder, banding together
in malta conspiracy. The negro
can be charged with crimes of vio-
lence, with laziness. The men from
Gallicia are dirty and stubborn.
The Norwegian has been tried and
proved unsatisfactory, and so forth.
Arguments Of an exactly similar
character might be brought against
the labor we already employ. The
Chinese in California have a bad
name for crime and for banding to-
gether in secret societies. If we
were guided by outside opinion,
the Portuguese have no good name.
Yet we know Of the Portuguese
that he is sober and industrious !;
that he is chaste; that he is home
lover, and that his little houses dot
the town with pleasant little homes.
We may be certain of one thing,
there will never be any class of
labor introduced into this commu-
nifty that will not find critics to
point out all its defects.
With regard 10 the introduction
of negroes, one of the solutions
offered, The Star is not prepared,
at the present moment, to support
it; but, like all other labor PROPOSE
tons, it merits careful considera-
ton. First and foremost, we should
find out how the matter would be
regarded by the Southern Senators,
Representatives and prominent men,
We do not want it thrown in our
faces that we have made an effort
to injure this labor market. Upon
this point information should reach
us shortly. Having ascertained the
political aspect of the case, the prac-
teal side can be looked into-and
that would require commission
from the planters to examine into
and report.
When one looks into the negro
question one finds two sets of views.
One set states that there is no such
faithful, hard working and satisfac-
tory laborer as negro. He is
sort of angelic tiller of the soil he
cheerfully tolls from daylight to
dark, doesn't consider the length of
his working hours he is sober, re-
ligious, and loves his family. The
other side represent the negro as
faithless, lazy, neutrality-suspicious.
ever quarrelling about his rights
and disputing the length of time
he should work irregular in his
habits, drunken, given to crimes of
violence. AS in all things, the
middle course is the safest. 1t may
justly be predicated that the negro
is neither the angel that one side
represent him, nor the unmitigated
rascal that the other side claim.
When we have sufficient data to
go upon, obtained from independent
sources, we shall be able to Judge
whether the experiment of intro
ducing negroes as laborers should
be made or not. Dealing with the
question from purely theoretical
standpoint, it must depend very
largely what part of the States you
take the negro from. If you get
the sweepings of sea ports and large
cities you get low class and de-
PRAYED set of people. If you go to
the agricultural districts you ought
to get simple and hard working
people. But, until we have the
information which we are likely
soon to receive, the question must
remain in allegiance, and the matter
should be looked upon neither with
prejudice nor with favor.