The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-07-26
PUNISH THE GUILTY.

A number of Galicians, contract Ia
ton and sentence, for violating the
provision of the Masters and Servants
Act. This Act is still in force in these
Islands, the Newlands' Resolution hav-
ing failed, for reasons which are not
given, to repeal it, The Resolution
should have repealed this Act, for it
is law which is intoIerable to Anglo
Saxon civilization, unless a sailor is
involved, but in such case, it is per-
fectly tolerable, and in accordance with
the glorious spirit of our institutions,
as the Supreme Court of the United
States has recently decided
While the American sailor and
voter, descendant of the Pilgrims.
perhaps, is permitted to remain in his
'1oathsome CELL" if he breaks his la
Dor contract, it is insisted that Cali
clans are made of better stuff than the
American mariner, and if they break
their labor contracts, they must have
the Flag waved over them, and incur
no penalty.
There is a matter however which
does not involve penal contracts, but
does seriously involve the entire plant
ing interest. 1t is openly and definitely
charged by persons in this town, that
the Galicians have been treated with
cruelty by the managers or agents of
the plantation ON which they worked
1t ds said that one of them was beaten
with an iron bar" that another was
numerically kicked" that another
was kicked in the abdomen" that
these men were brutally treated and
falsely imprisoned" These are Of
lenses against the common and stat
utory law of the Territory, and if true
those guilty of these Offenses should be
punished promptly and severely The
Masters and Servants Act furnishes
no defence whatever to such deeds 1t
is the duty of the government to in
vestigate the matter thoroughly, and
institute prosecutions at once against
the offenders.
If, on the other hand, there is no
truth in these charges, the government
MS under the same obligation to prose-
cute for gross criminal libel those who
have made these charges
There was time when the plant
ing interest ignored charges of mall
treatment, because public sentiment
was with them. That time has passed.
The conduct of the planters is on trial
in the United States, and will soon
be discussed in Congress. Does the
Planters Association propose to let the
matter go by default? Can that body
afford to let it be said in Washington
that the planters, when charged with
brutally treating and falsely imprison-
ing their contract laborers, confessed
by silence that it was true?
The days are over when "a matter
OF this kind is one of merely local i'm
pOrtance. The plantations are eager
ly looking for laborers in order to
maintain the great Industry. If it is
conceded by the planters that such
charges are true, even free laborers
will hesitate to engage on their plan
tatiOns. Are they willing to allow the
impression to prevail abroad that they
are a brutal and cruel lot?
The situation is critical, and de-
mands prompt measures. \ thorough
legal investigation should be made in
the courts al once, and before Congress
meets If the Galicians have been as
saulted, let the offenders be punished
If they have not been assaulted, let
those who are striking at the sugar
industry be punished.
Neither Hackfeld & Co. or the Plan
ters' Association can now afford to
ignore these charges when men here
are pressing these charges in Wash
ingtOn.