The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-11-17
The POINTS MADE
Triangle Clubs Debate
on Labor Supply.
Attack and F-ely-SendiDg Money OuT OF
The Country Citizenship HABITS of
Life-CIams Advanced.

Quoted. me SUBJECT OF DEBATE was.
Resolved That All Further Importa-
alton of Asiatic T.aborers into this
Country is Undesirable" Messrs. q. +.
Mcclellan and II. Coffee for the affirm
alive and r. Weldon and j. A. Temple
ton for the negative.
Mr.. Mcclellan, in opening the debate,
drew attention to the Importance of the
subject in view of the recent develop
ment of the sugar industry and the
consequent demand for more laborers.
The question was, Shall we secure
policy and establish a system of Euro
pean and American labor?' He main
tanned that Asiatics We're a very unde-
sirable class Of laborers and could not
grounds for his objections alleged the
following:
/. That The Asiatic laborer as rule
does not become citizen. He comes
here not to make home but to accu-
mulate wealth and return to his native
land, or else hoard up his gold and send
1t back TO his own country.
2. Asiatics are Objectionable on ac-
count of their habits Of life, from san
itary point Of view. Their habits of
life are such that European laDorer5
are unwilling to compete with them.
Compare the habits Of life of the POr-
tuguese or Germans or other Europeans
on any of our plantations, and note the
difference. Owing 10 their unsanitary
mode Of living they are the cause Of
much epidemic disease, and we are CON
sJantly menaced On this account.
AS human nature is, and circum-
stances are, it would seem impossible
10 get large number of American or
European laborarS here. They are I'M
willing to work side by side in cOmpe-
titiOn with Chinese or Japanese There
is a sturdy yeOman class of 1aborers in
the United States. These are the people
we want as labOrers in the Hawaiian
Islands, for they are a class who are
capa bic of making good citizens, and of
building up this territory, which some
day will be a State in the great system
Of States known rs the United States
Mr.. Weldon then followed with his
argument for the negative He refuted
good citizens, ana stated that many
Chinese and japanese in these Islands
today were among the most respected
citizens IN the community. Where
would we have been today without our
large Asiatic population? If the Ha-
Waiian Islands are prosperous today,
VINO made them SO? The country
would not be as prosperous today if it
had not he6n for the honest, patient
| frugal and handwriting Asiatic labor
er. He admitted that the Chinese were
| IN the habit Of sending money out Of
| the country into their native land, and
| failed to see why they should be con-
| demned for so doing. No doubt the
money sent away was for the purpose
| Of contributing to the support Of some
a ged relative. And again Of what ac-
| count was this small sum of money
| sent away by the Chinese, when i'm
| nIens1 sums Of money are being contin-
| ualiy sent away from here by Ameri-
| cans? IL regard to their cleanliness
and mode Of life, he said that their
mode Of living was as sanitary and as
| clearly as that Of the people of any
| other nationality who were obliged to
| live under the same circumstances. In
! conclusion he asked, Was it possible
| TO find a more bardwoTking, honest and
| peaceful class CT laD0rers than the Chi
! nese?" and predicted that if American
| and European iabOrers were introduced
| into the Islands there would be nothing
| but strife aud strikes, dissatisfaction
and disCOntentmeDt.
Mr.. Coffee then followed with his ar
gument for the affirmative. He de-
nounced the Chinese and Japanese in
general terms. They were a particu-
| iarly undesirable class, lacking IN in
telligence and salf-respect. A white
man could do five times as much work
as a Chinaman in the same time. 1t is
u Well-knOwn fact hat a Chinaman is
| g hardWorking man for himself, but
when it comes to working for anybody
else il is q different matter. A China
man works eighteen hours for himself
but win only work eight hours for any
one else. The Asiatics as a rule are
incapable CT making good citizens. A
first-class mechanic is not to be found
amongst them. He refuted the argu-
ment of Mr.. Weldon that AsiaticS
have been instrumental in building W
the country, and asked what hand did
they have in the advancement OF the
Islands, its railways and other enter
|
cause Of the present prosperity and adj
vanced civilization of the Islands
Mr. TempletOn then followed, arSu
ing for the negative. He admitted the
Importance Of the subject and statet
! that a high official of this Government
had recently stepped down from hi:
position to go in search of Italian Ia
boTers, class Of people beside whom
in the matter Of crime and vice, tn
Jap was a whitewashed saint. \ class
of people who are under a ban III thf
| United States. AS to Cinnamon SEND
ing money out CT the country, why IN
! poverty stricken Chinaman or Jap cal
not earn enough money TO cl0tne MN
self properly. There are two cI355e
who make d country, the men "no en-
gineer the work, and the men VINO q
the work Americans are IN c0ntroL II
this country and they do the engineer
ing. It is for the Asiatics to DO IN
work and labor on the plantations. /
, takes a certain class Of people to 90
certain class of work. Asiatlc laooreE