The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-15
MENACE TO ouR FARMERS.

MENACE TO our FARMERS.
The proposition that the general pros
perity OF this country depends primarily
upon the prosperity OF the farming class,
is one beyond the pale Of argument Every
body, even the veriest tyro in political
economy. knows that 1t is true, and every
body knows that any policy that is cal
culatcd to destroy agricultural prosperity
must in the end prove destructive to this
Nation.
Recently. before the Patrons of Hus-
bandry. an address was delivered By Mr..
Herbert Myrck. editor OF tho American
Agriculturist In which he depicted some
OF the effects upon this country from the
other tropical lands. He dwelt particularly
upon the injurious results which must
and will come TO the farmers of the United
States from such a policy. In Hawaii the
contract system is in vogue, and Mr..
Myrick thinks that the coolie labor i'm
ported there from China, and which ia
really slave labor, Will come In direct
competition with the free labor OF the
United States. Here is an extract from Mr..
1 Myriclk's address:
+ Coolies from tho lowest classes in China
and Japan are entced to the Sandwich Ia
lands by glittering promises under contract
TO work Tor three or Ave years. As each
coolie costs $3.50 to 500 delivered at the plan
tation. Hawaiian law holds him to his con
tract under penalty OF loss of pay and i'm
A prisonment X not moro serious punishment
The conditions OF life and immortality among
b these coolies the Hawaiian plantations
Is too shocking to be described. These de-
based and ignorant people are thus practically
slaves, That they rebel against such tyranny
Is shown by their assertions In spite OF strin-
gent laws"
I Commenting on this the Louisville Dis
patch furnishes the information that dur
ing the year 1898 10000 coolies have been
imported into the island under slave con-
:. tracts. The promises made to congress by
, this importation OF coolies would be
. stopped IL the island was annexed have
/ been broken. A bill to stop it was over
, whelmingly defeated in the legislature of
D Hawaii, and the importation of Chinese
, cheap labor goes on. This Chinese contract
, labor Will drive out of sugar producing
a the negro labor employed in the cane fields
, of the South, and tho white labor employed
in the production OF beet sugar In the
: Western States, and force 1t to seek en-
n ployment in other over-crowded fields OF
o labor. Tobacco growers Will be brought
C into competition with It. and as a result
II the production OF tobacco in a large part
n of this country will cease. and those who
= continue 1t will be forced to compete with
}. labor working for one-fourth of what our
: farmers pay Mr.. Myrick warns the man
$ ufncturers whose protective tariff views
he advocates, that ''if congress overthrows
n the farmers protection by admitting free
! sugar, tobacco. fruits, vegetables rice, ETC.,
a besides adding to direct taxes while at Abe
same time continuing the manufacturers
protection. let no one be surprised II the
, farmers and working people vote in 1900
or 1904 to pitch the custom houses into
y tho seal"
He insists that tho annexation of the
: markets for the farmers, because the peo-
;, pie OF those countries are not consumers
/. of corn, wheat and cattle, nor are the,
a the consumers of any kind OF manufac.
\ tured articles of clothing except cotton ant
the lighter fabrics, and they use com.
q parntively little machinery.
q They will increase the supply of chcar
: tropical fruits, and furnish an unlimited
q supply OF cheap labor. Mr.. Myrick says thi.
cry for annexation comes from and Is in
spircd by Spanish property holders IL
those islands, and from a small but power.
full coterie In this country that seeks &c
, monopolize the cheap labor and marvellous
prodactiveness OF the tropics.
Those people frankly admit that II through
, annexation they can get their produce into
!, the United States free of duty, they will
J, wax fat by monopolising this market to
the ruin Of certain agricultural, manufac-
turing and labor interests of vast domestic
I. Importance"
This bugle blast from leader OF the
|, farmers who have been voting for protec-
j ton. and who constitute the bone and
. sinew Of the republican party. shows that
= the question of our relations with our new
!, possessions 10 going to cut large figure
! in the politics Of the next year and in
1900.