The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-21
THE GALICIAN ONUE MORE

! he poor Gdliclan IS again raising
his assertive head. this time in the
columns OF the Louisiana Planter and
Sugar Manufacturer. a journal which
toscillates between hatred OF Hawaiian
Republicans and unhappiness over the
extent and value of our sugar crop.
The Planter, etcetera. has just heard
about Rabbi Levy and his essay in
freak philanthropy. whereupon il re-
marks with hydraulic pathos that Il
is evident the guarantees of liberty and
| personal rights have not yet been ex-
\ tended TO the humble jewellers of that
| (thisJ region" And then our Louis
lana contemporary declares that the
| time has come 10 establish American
/ Institutions in the island group" Il
must have been difficult for the Louis
lana editor in inditing these noble
sentiments to- resist the passion TO in
tersperse them with cheers" and pro
longed applause" Doubtless ne would
have made frequent use of these catch
words if he had been reporting his
views as a speech.
II is an unusual privilege TO sit AT
the feet of a Louisiana planter and
learn Americanism and the ethics OF
liberty and personal rights-one that
the people OF Hawaii who were fight
ing for years to get under the dag
that Louisiana tried so hard to escape
from will of course appreciate. But
we venture to remark that there are
several kinds of Americanism and that
the Hawaiian sugar men are entitled TO
their choice. There is the American
ism of Louisiana which. when a negro
labOrer in the cane fields grows Oh
streperous runs him out of the country
on some cooked up charge. turning
loose bloodhound or mob when his
feet begin TO lag. But it is not the !
kind that fits into the civilization of
Hawaii. Ii is a trifie too much like the |
ante-bellum Americanism which !!
brought Louisiana into difficulties with |
;he North 10 satisfy the civilized aspir- |
dtlOllS Vi THESE lSldluS.
There is another kind of American
ism which the Hawaiian planters use
in their treatment of imported labo: |
which is best Interpreted by the recent
decision of the United States Supreme .
Court in the Arago case. The Arago
was a merchant ship whose crew de
serted and were arrested for breach OF
contract and thrown into Jail Tne,
had signed the articles for the voyage
and chose to- break them. When ar
rested they employed counsel who made
the Constitutional plea of involuntary
servitude. but the Supreme Court of
the United States held the contract
with It's penal clauses to be valid. The Il
seamen had known what was before
he terms offered: they had accepted
heir wages and then changing their
minds. had sought TO evade their obi
cations. In common justice to their
10 as they had agreed.
The planters of Hawaii have done
nothing in their treatment of the Cali
,ians which opposes the letter and
spirit OF American law as interpreted
N the Arago case. All they asked was
hat the Galicians. who had been i'm
ported here at their expense on definite
erms, should meet those terms. The
ialicians thought it would be good
speculation to desert. leave the planters
,ut OF pocket for expenses and go to
work as free laborers. The Hawaiian
courts in turn, following the exact
precedent in the Arago case. held diff
erently, and as the Galicians refused
% work they were sent to Jail as they
deserved to be. 1t was their rare good &:
uck that they did not try their disre
,utable tricks in Louisiana. If they had
We do not doubt that most of them
would have danced in air before the
lext sunrise. unhappy examples of the
LANCER that comes of running amuck
With Louisiana Americanism.
However, let the Louisiana Planter IS