Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-20

here IL but Il revolt OF slaves in AM
other form. For. although frcemen i'm
name, these people arc still practi-
ca1ly poems. But they have gone to tho
schools and found u leader. and they
know Of better ways to assert them
selves than did tho generation that
burned Christinnsted. They have twice
gon" on strike. have forced their
wages UP from % to 40 cents day. and
arc now demanding shorter hours of
work.
Planters Bitter Asninst Jackson.
Tho planters charge that Hamilton
jackson has organized this union solely
for his own profit; that he Is preach
ing race hatred and the doctrine that
the whites must be disposscsScd that
he has told the people they must not
work hard enough TO sweat. The ad-
vance in wages they do not begrudEe.
they say. since profits in sugar arc
high this year. bu, they assert tina,
their hc1d hands toll them they have
instructions from Jackson not to work
hard enough to sweat their shirts"
AS a result. they cannot get the now
crop planted on time. and cultivation
canot lie extended at all. They asscr,
that although wages are 20 cents !,
day in Porto Rico. 1t costs less TO cut
and haul load OF cane there than in
st. CroiX. where wages arc but 80
cents. The st. Croix field hand. they
say. does just about onc-tcnth Of what
would be considered fair days work
In the United States.
The situation is greatly complicated
by the fact that the Danish govern
nent, never effective. seems to have
gone out of business There is prac-
ticaily no effective police. Hamilton
Jackson has become his own police and
his own court He calls disputants
before him and renders Judgments i,
10. Ia Il, f.xuf t1t he 49,
conducted his strikes without disorder
and has prevented the negroes from
burning any cane fields. which they
uscd TO do frequently.
II is charged by many persons In the
islands that the Danish government de-
liberately tolerated and encouraged the
activities Of jackson before tho sale in
foster prosale sentiment. Now he hn,
gotten beyond their control. II they
wished 10 exercise IT,
HIVE Different Viewpoints.
The difference In viewpoint between
black and white men here IL wei!
shown In their respective attitudes to-
ward the living quarters furnished for
the field hands. The latter. owning no
land. in accordance with ancient Gus
tom. the masters furnishes each aeld
hand with q room ten feet BY twelve
These rooms have stonc walls. board
floors and cast-iron roofs. The nc
grocs are allowed TO cultivate patches
OF land. and they all own few
chickens. pigs and goats. Many OF
them own horses. which are pasturcd
on the masters laud. and they arc AL
lowed 10 have carts in which TO go to
church. The little negro village arc
often ideally pretty. the white walls
showing among tho dark foliage and
COLDER fruit OF orange trees, or pen
cilcd with the fcathery shadows OF
royal palms.
The planter shows you his happy
village and asks IL his negroes are
not indeed well Of. Hamilton Jack.
son points out that the houses have
no sanitary appliances: that whole
families live in single rooms. that il
III Impossible TO raise standards o.
morality and dcccncy until the people
arc housed in Il civilized way. The
planter secs his negroes as chi!dlikc
creatures, incapable Of dincrcnt life.
TO whom he IL Kind and lcn,cnt. jack
son sees In them people of POSSIBLE
tiles, Who have as much right To hope
and progress as any other people.
He has complete plan OF social re-
form. which he hopes 10 enact, with
the help OF the United States govern
mcnt. Just as the planters expect 10
put him in Jail with our help.