, 1859-12-30
PUGET SOUND HERALD.
STEILlCOON, ". T. FRIDAY, DEC. 80, 1859.
To the EditOr Of the Pioneer and Democrat:

To the EditOr Of the Pioneer and Democrat:
Sir:-In looking over the Governors Message,
find the following:
Bury the mischievous Sam" beyond the reach
Of resurrection. Throw wide the portals of the
Union. Not only invite hither, but in connection
with our commerce, provide transportation for
the redundant, halEfed, and less than halEpaid
millions Of the old world :" assure them of pro-
lection by our laws, and profitable employment;
and as the oaks in the forest, so will be the hardy
sons Of toll, who will cross the Atlantic and build
the eastern ends Of your roads; and myritds Of
the saLL0D, but patient and sturdy John China
men" NTH others Of his edste, 'eM cross the
Pacific and build the westerR ends, and tapping
0rer the great diride, IN the rGLLey Of the noble
Missouri in the north, and that Of The Rio Grande
in the south, icsId the last links in the most i'm
pOrtdnt htghWdys built by man. To initiate
these faternal iberality and justice in the egis-
latiOn Of Congress is all that is necessary. Let
the North say to the South, Tor eice rersd) "lO-
cate and build your road where you wish; per-
init US to do the same. We will give you all the
aid within the constitutional limits Of our power
and only ask reciprocity at your hands"
Upon principles such as these, is it believed
this great work is likely ever TO be commenced,
and thus and thus only can the paramount inter
ests Of the nation be Subserved, and thus alone
eau the great American heart be satisfied
Now the difference between our old Uncle
"Sam" aud our Chinese friends ss great Whether
the honest labor Of the "white" caste Is to be
put aside for that Of the "sallow," is the qucs.
ton at issue; whether a low, degraded John
Chinaman" is equal to the great American heart
The Chinaman can afford to work for ten dollars
per month; the white man at not less than from
thirty TO fifty dollars per month. So extreme are
the positions occupied, that desire to address u
few remarks to members Of our Legislature on
the subject Of the Caucasian aud MOngolian,
which deem places me in middle ground, and
near the truth. The subject in question furnishes
aprOblem, the solution Of which has thus far SEEM
cd tObafle the skill Of most Of our social and pOl-
zeal economy; and hence but little has been clio
itcd which approaches in any degree the real
merits Of the case, when viewed upOa broad, lib
eral and elevated grounds The proposition rel
ative TO the true American character, the true
capital Of the laborng man, aud the effects Of
competition upon that capital arc thus r corr ct;
but at this pOint We must separate, and difer
widely in regard 10 the effect Of Chinese labor
upon that Of the American, ia degrading its
character, in checking the growth Of our infant
Territory by driving from us superior pOpula-
ton, aud upon the necessity Of inln'gng IL
ElOOmg uppLeucNANuub au ~ lHtN VI wv
Caucasian race in its contact with the MongOlian
upon the Pacific slope Of this continent
In reply TO- the first proposition upon which We
differ, "that Chinese labor comes in direct COM
petition with the American" will state that this
is cOTToot in only single instance, which is min
ing; and this branch Of industry is daily dvcreas-
ing in the same ratio that American labor and
American capital are being legtiInatrly trans
ferred from the impoverished lands and placers
N which ha Chinoea fran nnrasgfv must aver
confne themselves, to the richer and exhaustlcss
mountains Of gravel and Quartz-to the rich and
fertile lands Of our own noble Washington. In
all other departments Of labor to which the Chi
nese turn their attention, there Is no competition,
strictly speaking, from the facs that these depart
ments arc Of meniAl character generally, or are
those which are confined to the wants Of his own
race and consequently are not such as the Amer
leans desire TO enter. Therefore, there being no
composition worthy Of the name between the
two classes, inquire how Is possible that the
presence Of the Chinese can so affect the price Of
labor as to "drive from our Territory superior
population, because employment cannot be OBJ
tanned at remunerative Wagesl"
In my opinion, you are here TO teach an error
when you attribute to the Chinese the cause Of
reduction Of the price Of labori In Washington, as
many seem to have that I have conversed with;
and also make very grave mistake when you
declare the wages Of Washington to be be-
low the standard Of remuneration. In no
State or Territory Of the Union does labor meet
with such princely reward as in this Territory.
II Il was indeed the fact that the Chinese were
causing depreciation Of wages, as intimated, It
should be hailed with pleasure rather than regret;
and, as the hon. gentleman from Skamania says,
I" the old Governors head is right" for it is the
existence Of these high wages that retards the
growth Of those interests among Us upon which
the wealth and prosperity Of our Territory de-
pcnds to q very great degree. Reduce the price
Of labor to level with that Of the East, and we
at once throw open our doors for the successful
introduction Of capital from the Atlantic States,
Europe aud Asia, which, before the passage OF
another decade, would cause our plains and val
leys to blossom like Eden; our hills to yield up
more freely their fabulous treasures; the wild
voices Of our mountain streams TO become har-
monious with the song Of the shuttle and the
spinning jenny; and our cities the seats Of opu
lence and the emporums Of q mighty commerce.
This Is no dream Of the Imagination merely, but
reality, awaiting the auspicious hour when La
Dor and Capital become reconciled, and join hands
in the bonds of holy wedock. There is also q
failure in the argument Of the Abotionists, :" that
capital in the form Of slaves, brought into compe-
titOn with free labor, degrades the free working
man." which they bring forward in support Of
their position. This Iconcoive, does not wellap-
ply, from the fact thai the system which creates
$"S s'e'0 10 sVo."i hnu pohuCM e'eueut !" Our
government, having thereby voice in the con-
strpction aud administration Of our laws; and can
therefore, with this advantage, under the conduct
Of capital, enter into any or all the departments
0f labor where il exists as q powerful and sue
cessful competitor Of free labor; while the Chi
nese, destitute Of either social political rights
or privileges standing alone and unaided, can
never, from the popularity Of his condition, be-
come rival Of the white man In any Of the call
ings 10 which tho latter lays claim
ln reply to another proposition, in which a