The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-08-14
The Chinese Question.
From the Chicago Tribune, July 10Th

From the Chicago Tribune, July iV"|
The constant and increasing migration oil ohi-
nese to the United States is necessarily causing a
discussion as To how they shall be received ana
how treated. The first waves of the migration,
oil course, roll in upon the State OF CALIFORNIA;
and for tue present there is a fierce popular nos
tility in that State to the newcomers. but the
Chinese continue TO come, and TO extend them-
selves from the coast to the interior. There IS
hardly a village or Il locality in California where
the Chinese may not be found they Rave worked
their way into Nevada and into the new Ierrlto-
tories, and are gradually becoming the iaporers
OF that part OF the country. All THIS they are
doing in the face of the most bitter personal per-
secution and violence. They are Il quiet people,
and are sober, thrifty and Industrious: Ihey
learn the wants of this country rapidly, anu
adapt themselves easily to meet those wants.
Ihey live economically, and, OF course, can Work
Tor much less wages than other persons. Ihey
are hunted and beaten in California, but they do
not so away ON the contrary they are increas-
ing IN numbers, and acquiring n thorough prac-
teal knowledge of all kinds of mechanical, MN
ing, agricultural and domestic labor, as practiced
In this country. GeJrge Francis Train, IN one OF
his recent speeches to the Irish residents of Cali
fornia, had the manliness and the courage to de-
nounce the cruelty and prescription with which
the Chinese are treated. In this respect he dii-
Tered, much to his credit, from Mr.. Casserly, one
OF the United States Senators from that State,
who, in n recent speech at San Francisco, said
SIT is the duty of every class of men to unite
to prevent the introduction of the Chinese. If
they come in contact only with the common
hborers to-day, tomorrow they will be in COM
petition with the mason, the bricklayer, the car
penter and the machinist, for they are the most
frugal, Industrious and ingenious people on the
lace of the earth. Look at the splendid granite
buildings occupied by Wells, Fargo Il Co., the
stone of which was cut in China, and was built
by Cinnamon. Men who can do such work for
less than half the price paid white mechanics
were an Injury tn the State and he yOnl1 unItp
with any party that would use energetic means
to keep them out of the country. There was
only one party that could be depended upon for
that purpose, and that was the true old De-
mocracy.'
This is remarkable logic, though it he Demo-
cratic. The most frugal, industrious and in
genious people on the face of the earth - are to
be denied permission to come to the United
States, because, if they do so, they will, by fru-
gaiity, industry and ingenuity, be able to work
Tor less money than those now here. This is
protection in its most malignant form. The
logical deduction from Senator Casserly's argu-
ment Is, that the wasteful, lazy and stupid of our
present population must be protected against
competition on the part of the saving, the indus
trious and the ingenious who may offer their
labor to the public. The Democratic party at
the South, however, have no thought of hiring,
as workmen in that region, the Irish, or Ger
mans, or other Europeans their detestation Of
Tree white labor is only equaled by that of free
black labor; and, in the Chinese, they propose
to find a substitute for both. Already there is a
Southern demand for Chinese labor, and we have
no doubt that in u few years the Chinese will be
the iaborers ut the South as well as ut the North.
Mr.. Casserly will find that the Democratic party
at the South will not consent to the exclusion of
the Chinese, nor to any law or regulation which
Will compel them to employ white mechanics or
laborers.
The New York Journal Of Commerce, which is
the organ of the peculiarly religious wing of the
Democratic party, dcnounces the shameful
abuses " to which the Chinese are subjected i'm
California, and insists that it is /. 8 the right of
every Immigrant to this country, be he Mongo-
liam or Caucasian, To earn his bread here, and to
enjoy the protection Of our laws in doing so, and
in following that reasonable pursuit of happiness
which is claimed for all by our national Declara-
ton of Independence"
One of the outrages to which the Journal o
commerce objects is the exclusion of Chinese as
injustice prevailed, until recently, in most of the
States, respecting another class of our people,
and that everywhere throughout the land the
Democracy protested against its repeal.
There ought to be no political difficulty i'm this
matter. There can be no denial of civil rights
to any person, without the grossest injustice.
lie who refuses such rights to others invites a
denial of them to himself. The personal rights
OF all men should be equal before the law, and
the moment the law establishes a privileged class
then justice and humanity are violated. These
Chinese, as all other men, are entitled to the
liberty OF earning their bread by their own labor,
and must be protected in so doing. To deny
them that right is to treat them with n barbarity
wholly irreconcilable with the intelligence and
civilization of the age.