The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-18
THE JURY FINDS A VERDICT
Of GUILT IN THIRD DECREE
CONTINUED from Page One
Kinney Finishes Argument.


the hands of friends. Mr.. Sega crossed
out some of those words, but not one
word of protest did he utter. Ten lines
in the paper would have put those men
right, but they did not appear.
Kinney quoted number of extracts
from the Jill aliegedly threatening VIC
lenee against Sheba.
'.They put in the paper several times
that they must not do anything I'M
lawful Gentlemen, / do not claim
these words were hypocritical, but they
we're to warn the japanese against
harming the property of the plantations.
But they were never intended to warn
them against using coercion to keep
the 10000 japanese In line. | leave 1t
to YOU whether they warned the Japan
csc not to harm the property Of the
plantations, to injure the strlkebreakers
or throw something in front Of the
strikebreakers train because they cared
more for white man or kanaka than
for japanese, or whether it was be-
cause they knew that out there in the
plains was 4 cavalry regiment that
would take hand.
.'H How did they bring those men to
Honolulu and keep them in order with
the discipline of an armyf Why, be-
cause it was an army. When
any man was suspected guard slept
with him at night in this city of Homo
lulu. When I hear intelligent
men talk of how orderly these people
were, it makes me tired beyond degree.
1t was the order of an army. A man
eouldn t leave the city without a per
NIT. The minute he tried it, he be-
came traitor, an outeast. There was
nnquestionably great revolt in the
minds of many, but under that discip-
line there was no chance for them TO
get together. Each man would have
had to go out into the open alone.
'iThink Of the deeds that were done
under this discipline. Men were afraid
to walk the streets of Honolulu. A
man was carried bound through the
streets and thrown on the floor of the
Eva High Wage Association
'sThis is all highly amusing and the
laugh viii be kept up as long as men
will receive it. But to sober-minded
men their guilt is established a thou
sand times over. If this thing is TO be
allowed to 90 on, it will be like match
set to house 1t will burst into
fame that will carry the house with
ito
Kinney concluded his opening argu-
ment at nine O'Clock, and Lightfoot
promptly addressed the Court and the
jury.
Lightfoot Begins.
"May it please the Court and Gentle
men of the Jury: The learned counsel
who has just taken his seat, in the be-
ginning of his argument to you, laid
stress upon the fact that this is an inn
portant ease. 1t is an important ease.
Outside of those unfortunate eases in
volving life and death, this case, l be-
lieve, is the most important case that
has been tried in the Territory of Ha-
wall for very many years; and why is
it Important 1t is important, gentle
men of the jury, because it involves the
sugar industry of this island, or that
feature, that portion, of the sugar in
dustry which is most necessary, to wit,
its labor
Now, you may not hold any stock
IN sugar companies, and | may not hold
any stock, but yet our interests are
bound up, and irrevocably bound up for
some time to come, indirectly if not
directly, in that which is at present
the greatest industry OF the Territory
of Hawaii, to wit, the sugar industry
And so it is useless for anyone to say,
We'll, | don t own any stock. l don It
care; the sugar business is not my bust
ness 1t is the business of everyone
in this Territory, directly or indirectly,
for we have to live by it.
''We hope that the time will come
that there will be such diversified in
dustry here that it will not be the sole
source of the wealth of this Territory
but at present it is, and so ANYTHING
that goes to the vitals of the sugar in
dustry is an important matter and
should be considered by you, gentlemen
of the jury, and by every thoughtful
man, in thoughtful way.
Labor Situation Involved.
Now, this case involves the labor
situation of the Territory Years ago
large numbers of japanese were i'm
ported into this Territory here. The
Hawaiians would not work in the fields
at the prices that were being offered.
For many years the price of sugar was
very l0w--when | came here nearly
twenty-five years ago it was about two
cents a pound. For long time there
was doubt about the reciprocity treaty
being continued or renewed. For long
time the future of the industry was
clouded in darkness and no one knew
what the morrow would bring forth.
and the planters were unable to paw a
decent days wages for descent day s
work, and so we found that the Ha-
waiians and other residents aud citi-
zens of the then Kingdom of Hawaii
gradually left the canefelds because
they could not get enough money to live
upon, even to pay for their poi and pig
and their place was taken by the Japan
ese-Japanese who came here under a
contract, shipped as we said; a
contract which was nothing more MOI
less than slavery. If these men refused
to go to work, under that system. to
jail they went. But when the American
flag waved over these Islands, the flas
which is Incompatible with slavery
slavery had to go, and slavery went
ana that time, the period of annexa
ton, when slavery was abolished il
these Islands, formed the greatest epocl
IN our sugar in1ustry's question o.
labor. And we have another one today
Yes, the prosecution and the resident
of the Territory of Hawaii would Gk,
To, tf,z4.N = 10, IL