The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-03-18
A REVELATION.

has been criticised here, it has been
criticised abroad. There have been
those here who have stigmatized our
planters as slave drivers, indeed there
are some who still do so. There have
been papers on the mainland which
have devoted themselves to the vitu-
peration of the Hawaiian planters and
have drawn the most awful and heart
rending pictures of the fate of the lab
orer who once fell into his clutches.
According to these people, the Islands
were full of Legrees, that type of slave
driving scoundrel that Mrs. Stowe
evolved.
1t was only a short time ago that
the San Francisco Examiner succeeded
in preventing a number of Porto Rican
laborers and their families from COM
ing here, very much to the detriment
of the said Porto Ricans, by circulat-
ing the most blood curdling accounts
of the awful manner in which our plan
ters treated their labor. The Porto
Ricans who stopped off in California
are now charge upon public charity,
those who came here are doing we'll
and saving money.
There was great joy felt, after an
nexation was complete, that the wicked
Hawaiian contract system was put at
an end. Nothing so villainous was al
lowed under the flag of the United
States, and we have had much valu-
able comment upon the matter. AS
far as The Star is concerned, it always
considered that the penal clause in the
contracts was mistake, but that penal
clause was a direct descendent of the
origin of contracts here, and has it's
counterpart in the United States to-
day. Labor contracts came from the
whaling times, when men were accus-
toned to ship" for an advance. In
deed a quarter of a century ago this
was the regular phrase for all engage
ments. Your cook wanted an advance
and shipped" with you. So did your
yard boy, so did your groom, so did
your nurse. But this is really by the
way, and an explanation of how the
law came into existence. 1t holds good
in every part of the United States to-
day. Any sailor who Ships that is
makes a contract to serve on a vessel
is penalty liable unless he fulfills his
contract The police stations of every
sea port town are constantly full of
sailors who have failed to fill their con-
tracts, and sailors are liable to terms
of imprisonment if they do not carry
out their agreements.
1t was a matter of some interest,
however, to find that the contract
system for labor was not confined to
these benighted Islands, but actually
existed at the present time in that
chivalrous south of which we have re-
Gently heard so much, AT a recent
trial for murder in South Carolina, the
following facts developed. Negroes
seeking employment upon farms sign
a contract of which the following are
some provisions;
II agree at all times to be subject to
the ORDERS ana commands OF salu land
lord or his agents. He shall have
right to use such force as he or his
agents may deem necessary to require
me to remain on his farm and perform
good and satisfactory services,
He shall have the right to lock me
up for Safe-keepins.
He snail have the right to work me
under the rules and regulations of his
farm.
And if l should leave his farm or
run away he shall have the right to
offer and pay reward OF not exceeding
$25 for my capture and return, to-
gether with the expenses of same,
which amount so advanced, together
with any indebtedness 1 may owe at
the expiration of above time, l agree
TO work out under ali the rules and
regulations of this contract at same
wages as above.
THE said landlord shall have the
right to transfer his interest in this
contract to any other party, and l
agree to continue to work, for said as
signee, same as for the original party
of the first part"
At the trial alluded to above, it was
shown that a colored man was arrested
and without being taken to court was
imprisoned in convict stockade under
a labor contract of this character. He
attempted to escape and was shot by
the guards. Then the case came up
for trial. D.. rs.,r'..
This is no tale of the past. 1t occurr-
ed in the last week in February of the
year 1901. How many such contracts
may be running in the Union one can
not tell, but they are in common use.
And people who have such things at
their very doors, dare to come and
criticise our methods here. Verify it was
a wise saying, and is known as an
inspired saying, which taught us east
out the beam from out thine own eye,
before thou lookest for the note that is
in thy brothers eye"
The Star does not propose to defend
the old contract labor system here. 1t
has ever regarded it as a mistake so far
as its penal clause went. Outside of
that, however, the contract system was
no different from that Of many parts |
of the world. There must be some kind
of agreement between people when |
work has to be done. But that in free
country like this which we have come
into, there should be system of con-
tract labor such as is revealed in the |