The Independent. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1895-1905, 1898-07-23
Shut the Doors on Coolies.

fic Coast Senators, who were such
earnest supporters of the annexation
of Hawaii, and whose votes coined
the measure, had not sufficient in
huence to secure the appointment
OF Pacific Coast representative on
the commission which is to frame o
government for the islands. This
coast, and especially California, has
a greater interest in what is done in
Hawaii than all the rest of the couu-
try.
1t is true that the annexation reso-
luton, which cleared the constitu-
ton at one jump, says that there
shall be no more Chinese immigra-
ton to Hawaii, by virtue of any
thing therein contained, which is
mere shuttle and evasion, pretense
at prohibition which prohibits
nothing. The full objection OF
California is to Asiatic coolies,
whether Chinese, Japanese, Bur
mese or East Indians. The East
India coolie has been domesticated
in the American tropics and proved
the same sort of pest as the Chinese
here, So, granting that the doughty
and deceptive phrase grated out OF
the treaty into the resolution does
exclude Chinese coolies, it by no
means excludes all Asiatic coolies
and coolie wages. The interests of
labor in California require that the
form of government framed for Ha-
wall shall exclude all coolie labor
and coolie wages; that it shall put
employees here and there on an ex-
act equality. This is necessity for
California. Our laboring people
here have felt keenly, and resented
with spirit, the manufacture Of uni
forms for the War Department by
coolie labor. If labor is touched in
its dinner pail by the employment
OF hundred coolies in such COM
petition, is it not far more interest
ed in the competition of 10000
coolies under our flag in Hawaii
The overthrow of slavery in this
country came when it was under
stood by free white labor that black
slave labor competition was unfair
to it, and when the Northern 0m-
ployer felt himself handicapped by
Southern Shareholders chattel
ownership of labor.
1t presented unequal conditions
for both labor and capital under
government founded upon equality,
and the interests of all were found
to require the maintenance of equal
ity. 1t was a profound impression
of this necessity that made Lincoln
declare: ga house divided against
itself cannot stand, The republic
must be all free or all slave"
The issue involved then was labor,
nothing else.
In the annexation of Hawaii that
issue is presented again, as forcibly
as to Lincoln and the men of his
generation. We cannot have one
law and servile labor for an Hawai-
ian planter and another law and
white labor at white wages for
California rancher, both under the
same flag. A house divided against
itself cannot stand now any more
than in Lincoln's time.
At least one of the Hawaiian COM
mssioners should have been from
this coast. But we are ignored.
With one exception the Western
Senators helped annexation, when
they could have beaten it, and labor
finds that they have committed its
interests 10 an old stakeholder from
Alamaba and two men from Illinois!
1t is the old story. The West
beats the bush; the East and South
get the game.
What means are left for protect
ing white labor should be used at
once. Our interests require that
all Asiatic coolies and blackbirds
now in Hawaii be Immediately de-