The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-07-30


ence in the quantity and quality of
work done, the amount is less. ! have
had very pleasant interview with the
members of the Government, and I
am sure they will interpose no objec-
ton to them. On the contrary, the
idea meets with favor. l do not see
why they should, if they look at it
from a political standpoint. The OBJ
lection to annexation on the part of
some of the people of the United
States is on the score of Asiatic labor,
and President Mckinley stands today,
in his annexation attitude. arrayed
against every labor organization in the
United States. Eliminate that objec-
tionable feature and there is nothing
in the way. The Southern negro is
American pure and simple, and when
the people of the United States know
that the planters of Hawaii are ready
to take that class of labor as against
Asiatics, they will hurrah louder for
annexation than you do down here.
"The only opponents to the plan of
bringing negroes here are those who
have not studied the negro character
by personal observation. They read of
a crime committed by negro and the
sensational lynching of the man, and
then stamp the whole race with the
mold of that criminal In my expert
ence, covering a good many years,
can truthfully say that these occur
rences are exceptions, and it is seldom,
if ever, that a plantation negro is the
guilty man. These men usually come
from the large towns and cities, or are
workers on the levees. In the Grim
inal annals of the United States, how
often do you find a man who has spent
his life on farm, guilty of misde-
meanor or a crime? Having been
brought up away from the allurements
of city life. His wants are never out
of proportion to his surroundings. 1t
is the same with the negro, and the
people who I will contract to land
here will not belong to a class that
will be heard of in your police courts,
but will be found, rather, when Sun
day comes around, attending church
Every reading man and every travelled
man knows the darkies' love for the
good old Methodist Church, and once
the negro is established here, you will
find that branch of religion flourish
ing like the green bay tree"
One of the leading agents for plan
tations here, when asked his views on
the subject, said:
81 objected to it, first, merely from
political standpoint. ! felt that if we
drew our full supply from one district,
like Louisiana, for instance, it might
injure our chances for annexation for
the reason that the people of that State
would shout that we were depriving
them of their labor supply. But l find
| am mistaken, no district will depict
ed as il is the intention of the gentle
man who is here to take only a few
| families from each district.
My knowledge of the negro is limit
ed. but I will admit that the idea of
bringing them here is a good one and
now is a good time to begin. There
can be no question regarding there be-
| ing Americans and that is what the
people of the United States want us to
have. I would like to see every plan
tation on the islands start in now with
100 families. There is no question
about the climate suiting them, and,
from what / have learned since l be-
gan to investigate the matter, they are
better able to do the work required of
them than the Japanese"
It is pretty generally understood
that the Cabinet is a unit in favoring
the measure. One of the miisters said
in response to a question: "The OBJ
jections I think is a mere matter of
sentiment Once in a while there is a
hue and cry raised because crime
has been committed by a negro and
the whole country Immediately gets
down on the entire race in conse-
quence. To me it is a mistake. There
is what is known as the 'black belt"
containing 100000 people and oc
casionaly some crime is committed by
a negro. 1t is not always the crime
that attracts attention from people of
other parts of the world, but the man
ner of the punishment. It is not
long time since that the newspapers of
the United States, and even of Europe,
were full of accounts, written and
pictured, of the burning of a negro
criminal at stake, by an Infatuated
mob. 1t is the punishment of that man
that is before me now, but / have for
gotten just what crime it was he COM
mitted. I do not believe crime is as
rampant among the people of the
black belt as in any other locality of
the same number of people. Political
ly, the move to bring those people
here would be beneficial to us all"
Another minister stated that he had
been favorable to it for. years, and
hoped the planters would see their way
clear to bringing in the families as
soon as possible.
Another gentleman remarked, on
hearing of the scheme: 81 wish they
would bring in 10000 before the list
of January They are better class of
labor in a climate like ours than any
other race of people, except, perhaps,
Hawaiians, and I believe they will do
more work than the Hawaiians.
MY opinion of the negro is based on
what have seen of him in the South,
in Kansas and in the State of Wash
ington I will relate only the latter
In 1894, there was miners strike at
Rosslyn and everything was closed
down. The Northern Pacific Railway
is interested in the mines, and the mat
ter was growing serious. Finally, some
person suggested bringing negroes
from the South. An agent was dis
patched there, and in a few weeks he
returned with $50, nearly half of
whom brought their families with
them. They were put into the mines
almost in the face of the Winchesters
in the hands of the strikers From