The Advocate and news., 1898-11-30
Agriculture and Annexation.
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thus practically slaves. That they rebel
against such tyranny is shown by their
desertiOn in spite OF stringent laws.
The planters trust that controlled the
islands assured Congress in the most
positive and solemn terms last winter
that if Hawaii were annexed, this con-
tract labor system would be abolished.
To keep up appearances Of good faith,
a bill to that effect was introduced into
the Legislature at Honolulu, but was, Of
course, Overwhelmingly defeated. At the
very time that the Honolulu government
was promising Congress at Washington
to reform this slavery of labor, II was
granting special licenses for the impor-
tation of more coolies. After annexation
was consummated the hold over" gov
ernment of the islands issued such IL
censes without stint, in direct violation
Of the alien contract labor laws Of the
United States. Under these licenses thou
sands Of coolies are now being rushed
into the islands, every one of whom Will
be compelled to serve out their contracts
OF from three to five years. Honolulu
adVlces, dated October IL, 1898, and pub
lished in the American newspapers, re-
ported the arrival of 1000 coolies at that
date, and it was stated that the total i'm
portations during the calendar year 1898
will exceed 10000 coolies. Still more,
the Hawaiian planters now insist upon
the right to continue the importation OF
coolies. They have urged this point most
emphatically upon the honorable COM
missloners appointed to investigate and
report a plan for administering the is
lands. The planters have further boldly
declared their purpose to maintain a
lobby at Washington until Congress
grants them the right to contract labor
in perpetuity!
Coolie or contract labor is doubtless
essential to such prosperity as the
Hawaiian sugar companies have enjoyed
heretofore, during which the sugar
planters corporations have earned from
30 to 100 per cent. per annum. If they
are obliged to pay the same prices for
labor that the American farmer pays
from SIS to $50 month and board-they
can still make larger profits than are
possible to any agricultural industry
elsewhere. The best things. in agricul-
ture to-day in the United States are the
specialties that free trade with the
tropics would knock out. That policy
would permanently blight Florida and
almost annihilate her agricultural in
dustries, making Florida only way
station to the tropics. 1t would certainly
seriously compete with the important in
dustry Of growing early fruits and veg
etables, both in southern and northern
States. 1t would probably obliterate
cigar leaf tobacco culture in New Eng
land New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Wisconsin, Florida and Texas. 1t would
transfer to Ponce, Santiago, Havana and
Manila the vast cigar manufacturing in
dustry of the United States, whose
skilled labor and millions upon millions
Of capital could not compete with labor
at One-fourth our wages working on
tropical leaf. The extent to which the
vast semi-tropic fruit industry Of the
South, Southwest and Pacific coast would
be injured by free trade with the East
and West Indies, is self-evident. The
fruits of the northern belt would also be
affected.
The production of sugar in the United
States, already given hard blow by the
annexation of Hawaii, would be most
seriously interfered with. In fact, sugar
raised by the yellow and black labor Of
the East and West Indies, If admitted
duty free, would probably annihilate our
domestic sugar producing industry.
Louisiana and Texas alone can produce
cane sugar enough to supply the whole
country. Beets for the manufacture Of
sugar are now being grown with wonder
full success in every State and Territory
from New York and Virginia to the Pa
cific. Such factories as are already es-
tablished for the manufacture of beet
sugar are doing splendidly over the
Spanish war. Millions Of capital are
now ready to embark in numerous beet
sugar enterprises in twenty States, the
moment Congress declares against free
sugar from the tropics. Thousands upon
thousands Of farmers in the sugar beet