The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-09-10
Hamakua, Hawaii. Sept. 4, 1901.

Hamakua, Hawaii, Sept. 4, 1901.
Editor Advertiser-The assertion that
/ made some time ago that white men
could not work in the cane fields of
Hawaii has, Z notice, been very thor
oughly discussed and commented upon,
and though II has met with some oppo
sition, the consensus OF opinion seems
TO be that white men will not work IN
the cane fields of the Hawaiian ISL
ands. Now, whether they cannot, or
will not is 4 matter of small impor-
lance, so long as we grasp the fact,
that white men cannot be looked TO as
n source of supply, and that IL Uncle
Sam means TO restrict us to thar
source alone, we might as well throw
up the sponge at once, and be done
with it, The only reasonable objection
that l have noticed against my sug
gestion Of petitioning Congress to al
low Chinese. to come to Hawaii, Is that
ii may cause the beet and cane sugar
growers to try to legislate adversely
against us. There is, Of course, q pos
sibility of such a thing, but I, don't
think n great probability, after having
been exempted Sor 80 long a time, and
while we have had just such a. class
of men az we now wish to get, or the
Chinese. or, TO make II plaln9r. |
don't see, If America did not legislate
agains; us for using Cinnamon, In our
cane fields when we were p republic
or monarchy, why she should now
that we are part Of the republic Of
America But be that as it may, the
fact remains that we must let Congress
know that after repeated trials. with
almost every nationality Of the white
population OF the world, there Is not
TO be found one white man anywhere
on these Islands that is, or Win work
as q field laborer. And what IA SAID
of tn. white man, may also be said of
the black, only with this difference,
that the black man has. as a rule,
made himself very Objectionable, Now,
with these facts before us, Ii IS evil
dent that the Hawaiian islands must
have a different class of laborers than
the white man, 1 also beg to cay that
| don't think much of the man who
would wish to consign mis- fellow coun-
tryinen to Il life of such hardship as
this class OF work has proved itself to
be, for there is not to be found any
where on the farms Of the United
States anything like the laporious
work of cutting and stripping cane.
or even OF loading cane. such
as is done in the cane fields Of
Hawaii. If any one has any doubt OF
this, let him try this class of work on
upon the cane leaves like sheet Of
flame, and when the cane cutter. or
cane stripper is almost blinded with
the glare. choked UP with the dust, and
stified with the heat. and then II ne
! thinks this is class of work for white
men, he will BE- something else than
| human. '.... ~ ~
The fact OF the matter Is the Arneri-
can laborer is too good q man FOR this
class Of work. and ne knows II, and
however men may talk that know
nothing about 1t, and who think II
sounds patriotic to be constantly cry
ing out for white laborers to work In
the cane fields. the fact remains thai
the white men will not work at this
kind Of toll, and that II Is worse thar
| useless TO expect them to do SO
Now, as these are facts that cannot b.
refuted, / fail to understand just why
a certain class Of men are always clam.
oring for white men to work In tho
cane fields OF this country, or why they