Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-10-07
THE CHINESE QUESTION.


Senator Morton made u great
speech at Cincinnati, on Tuesday
night, in which the political issues
of the day were discussed in a mas
terly manner OF the Chinese ques-
ton, he said:
For the last three years the State
If California has been under Demo
cratic control. Have they adopted,
or have they sought to aoopt, any
measure for the purpose of restrain
ing or discnuraging Chinese immi-
grafton l? Nothing whatever. But
who are they who are seeking to
bring Chinese coolies east Of the
Rocky Mountains, to bring them
into the Valley Of the Mississippi,
and into the Southern States :? Why
you will remember, my friend, that
less than month ago there was a
convention held in the city of Mem
phis, composed of several hundred
men from all parts of the South.
and some from the Western States.
That convention was convened for
the express purpose of devising
ways and means, and of establish
ing a system for the importation OF
Chinese laborels into the Southern
States to take the place of the ne
groes. Every member in the Con
vention was IL Democrat, SO far as l
k .ow. Cheers 1t was Differed.
C 'ndurted and addressed by leading
Democrats of the South, and the ne
cessity for Chinese labor was put
upon the false ground that the ne
groes of the South would not work
That convention was composed Of
Democrats. of neu who had been
shareholders and who sought again
to stock their plantations with men
who could be driven. who could be
imported at SO much per head, and
controlled like slaves. Why, it was
said in that convention that the oh
ject of importing Chinese laborers
was to dispense with negro labor;
and it was said. to }, by the friends
of Chinese labor, that it was not
only preferable to negro labor. but
it was preferable to the labor Of
men from any foreign country, Ger
mans and Irish not excepted.
And yet after this Democratic
convention, held in the South for
the express purpese of beginning
this importation of Chinese labor,
that was to take the place of slavery,
and make the nearest approach to
slavery that could now be made,
Democratic politicians have the as
surance to say that it is a part and
parcel of the 18th Amendment that
we should force Chinese immigra
ton into this country. And l believe
Mr.. Hendricks said the other day.
that under the 18th Amendment the
Chinese, as soon as they got here
could vote. That is the object we
had in view, and if Mr.. Pendleton
doesn't exactly say that he intirnates
that. I think Mr.. Pendleton would
not willingly be understood as say
ing that. But whether said directly
or by intimation, it is absolutely
untrue.
THE FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT DOES
NOT INCLUDE CHINESE.
We know to what class of per
sons the 18th Amendment applies.
We know for whom it was intended,
and so do you all know. 1tprovides
that no citizen of the United States
shall be debarred from the right of
suffrage on account of race or color
or previous servitude. The Chinese
are not citizens of the United States,
and under the laws of the United
States they cannot be. The laws OF
the United States do not permit
them-te be naturalized, and unless
naturalized and first made citizens
of the United States, they couldn't
possibly come under the operation
o the Fifteenth Amendment. Every
body who has studied the question
knows that. But it is now thrown
out that this would give suffrage to
the Chinese. whereas by the laws of
the United States they cannot be
come citizens of the United States.
So much then for that question at
this time.
But Mr.. Pendleton proceeds, and
l will read another little extract
from his speech on that subject.
He talks about Chinese labor being