The Hawaiian gazette., 1899-07-18
III h PEvsll italians Pnu
CI1irl 10 Hawaii
On eaAnclsco LABOR COUNCIL
Os~ss Lsssevs 90 italian Authovit'ss
Pvossss,~s Ass,,., the Plans OF
nav allan Planters.

Al a meeting Of the San Francisco
Labor Council July :. the follow
tag circular letter was adopted and the
arrctary instructed 10 send copies
shereof 90 the Pope. the King Of Italy.
% the Radical members of the Italian
Parliament. TO the leaders Of all Ital-
IN trades unions and To all news
paper~ published in Italy:
The San Francisco Labor Council.
lise federation Of the trades unions Of
Ghis city. learning In the press reports
that the Hawaiian planters had sue
rseded in making arrangements with
the Italian Government which would
result In the emigration Of from 10000
10 I5.0co Italian laborers TO work on
the sugar plantations Of Hawaii. in
strucfed me TO warn the workers Of
linly against coming to Hawaii for
Unce IN the islands they are slaves.
With no hope Of escape.
For verifcaiion and explanation of
this statement ] ask you to read the
euclused minutes of the Labor Council
a May IS. 1897. At that time a cor
run public Official of this State trIeu
20 lure California workmen to Hawaii.
The council then had the Hawaiian
contract labor laws with some com
ments published, and not one workman
tnok advantage Of the offers Of the
Hawaiian planters. I believe this will
be the result when the Italian work
men learn wha, awaits them In those
accursed islands, where greed and
cruelty are more rampant than In any
other part of our so-called civilized
world.
II further want to state that when
the Hawaiian planters We're seeking
annexation of the islands to the Unit
ed States OF America and after the in
closed report was used in the United
States Congress as an argument
against annexation, the planters rep
resentatives promised the repeal OF the
contract labor laws. They lied. Those
laws are still in force. although the
nag Of the United States floats over
the islands.
"a recent decision OF the Supreme
Court Of Hawaii, given In the case OF
two laborers who had run away from
their employers, had been captured and
then claimed that where the Stars and
Stripes floats no slavery can exist. ex-
piicitly states that the contract labor
laws Of Hawaii are constitutional. both
under Hawaiian and American law.
Unfortunately that Is true. In the de-
cision of the Supreme Court Of the
United States In the case Of Rober,
RObertson and others against Barry
Baldwin, rendered in 1895, against
four members OF the Sailors Union Oi
the Pacific. who had run away from
a ship in an American port, had been
captured. and whose case was carried
by the union to the Supreme Court. the
Court held that contracts voluntarily
entered at no time OF their duration
could become involuntary, and there
fore the seamen could not claim the
protection of the thirteenth amend
ment to the Constitution, which pro-
hibits slavery and involuntary servi'
tude.
"And so today The American ilat
floats over territory where overseer'
with whip In hand urge on the toiler!
in the canefields to harder labor. Onc'
in Hawaii under contract to labor
there Is no escape, as you readily SCI
by the inclosed report.
I'm conclusion ! want to state tina
the press reports some time ago gav'
1t tina. the Italian Government ha'
forbidden the wholesale emigration o
subjects to Hawaii. Now the report
state that the objection had been with
drawn and that the laborers woul'
come from Northern Italy exclusively
Does the Italian Government want {,
get rid of it's discontented workmei
who are becoming troublesome?
1.-The promises of the planters agent
IRE lies, lies. lies. Warn your coun
trymen. Bring this at your earlies
opportunity 10 the knowledge OF radi
cal members OF the Italian Parliament
and inform the officials of Italian
trades unions and reformers in gen
eral OF this nefarlous plot. ! am
yours for humanity and freedom.
ED. ROSENBERG,
Recording and corresponding secre
tary San Francisco Labor Council.