The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-30
THE CHINESE Labor QU-STiON'
A Pi actical lVtew~Absurdity ofthe Talk
about Excluding the Cinnamon.

A correspondent Of the New York Evening
Post addresses the following commune alton
to the editors Of that paper:
As it is evident that the question OF import
ING Chinese laborers mast soon come 10 prac-
tlcal issue, especially as it regards the cultlva-
ton OF cotton, I desire to present one side OF
the question which has not yet been stated.
With the moral aspect OF the question DO
lot purpose to meddle, contenting myser'
with this, that If we cannot absorb tho Mongo.
lian as well as the Celt, the Teu:on and the
NEGRO. and permit each and oil to have equal
rights ani privileges, then democracy Is
tailCre.
What have to say is upon the economic
question. The immigration Of Chinese libor-
ers has thus far been treated as II they must
OF necessity be imported as COOLIES" under
CONT acts for long terms OF service, OF low
rates uY wages, and under such compulsory
conditions as to m Ike them practically serfs,
almost slaves. Such importation is rightly
prohibited by law, and Southerners who ex.
meet to re-estabsh forced system OF labor by
any such methods will be grievously disap-
pointed. But very large numbers OF Chluese
laborers-as believe nearly the whole force
which built the Central Pacific halFoad7were
brought over as FREQ laborers, under contracts
approved by United States Consul. and
which did not infringe the law prohibiting the
coolie trade.
The system was established by genti emaa
now IN San Francisco, who explained it to me
himself. give it from memory at the risk OF
some errors. He went to Hong Kong, and
there found Chinese merchant OF great
wealth who was willing to attempt to induce
the voluntary migration Of laborers and TO bo.
come responsible for the ful6ment Of contracts
made by them; and II my memory serves me
he sent out over twenty thousand men. He
lthe merchant) agreed with other China
men that each should furnish ono thousand.
These men again agreed vita others to furnish
fifty each, and tho contractors Tor hftv
went out to find the men. Inc DarGain was
sape-and deposit with the Chinese company
of San FRANCISCO to secure the return OF bo-
dies in case OF death. Inc contract made by
the laborcr, and accredited before United
States Con sui, was to work out this advance
at certain rate OF wages, ana tnereaftcr 10
be free to make q new bargain or to go where
he pleased. was assured Dy tpe gentleman
rer gave hi, note for such amount, with his
peighbor's as sarcty these notes were en-
dorsed by rbe contractors tor nifty to the con-
tractors for one thousand, by them to the
mere 1ant in Hong Kong, and ne executed 2
m r gage on al estate for Their fuIhlment. l
was also assured thatit had not been necessary
to fall back upon the security, but that the
agreements had been faithfully met.
Ihe gentleman who made this statement TO
me returned to San Francisco few weeks
since 10 enter into the business OF furnishing
other laborers upon same terms. Ii sucn con-
trs cts can be made With nen sufhcIeutly edu-
Gated and trained to make them aud abide by
them they cannot fall 10 DC econoln'caily Vaiu-
able a4 laborrrS.
In fact. nothing but arbitrary legislation, alb
solutelv prohibiting the immigration OF Chi
nese labor. can POSSIBLY prevent it. Take only
the State OF Arkansas, covering over hfty
tho sand SOU ire miles, one ha!t OF Wnicn Is
cotton land of the best quality; mostly river
bottom. The Chipaman is fitted IN every re-
speot to settle the region, OF wnica p o.lv ABOUT
ole acre III a hundred has ever vet been cult.
waited IN cotton. The ,rop easily made IS
bale to the acre, ard eight to ten bales to tho
hand. besides food. Tho value or ten oale5 Is
n w over $1,000 IN currency. line Labor Is not
hard but persistent:
Here arc the conditions OF ucmano ior lapor,
and slxt, da,s llme, with abe ut SlO0 in money,
will bring mn unlimited supply. R sucl con-
uracts can be made as we're laid before me 6y
INV informant, such demand and such supply
cannot fail to meet. The Pacific Mail Com
nany can move about twelve thousand per
mouth. One hundred thousand sucn iaporers
would add eight bundled thousand 10 one
million bales to our annual crop OF COTTON, anu
would place under cultivation, IN Arkansas:
we will saw. ouly two or three acres more out
of each hundred in addition to the little patch
now under cultivation.
There is a plan now maturing in st. Louis
for building short line OF railroad from Cape
Girardeau to Helena. the distance being. BE-
lleve. about two hundred miles, aud contlnu-
ing the Iron Mountain road southwark. The.
embankmenL for this road to form q levee; e1-
Guiding the Mississippi Kver 'ro@ nve e, ml,,oh , On
over million aces have been subscribed to-
vuSt ward the s CONSTRUCTION Of the road. If this
road should be built, aud this little patch put
into cotton by Cnlnamsn. the crop therefrom
nigh; be four 10 five million bales OF cotton
from land now almost unculuvated and worth
Ihad hoped for complete statement from
nv friend in San Franclsc before making this
pubic, but l avoid delay, as wish 1t to bs
cnade apparent that Cbinamen who are not
Ucoolie,n NAV be exoecttd IN very large num-