The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-17
THE CHINESE.

The Renl Views OF the Democratic Governor
Cnhtornin-Chineso Testimony and NOT
Chinese Immigration.
The telegraph was correct i'm stating the other dav
that Governor haght in his biennial message 10 the
Legislature OF California recommended that the
state aid Eand facilitate Immigration from Europe
and the Eastern States hut n gave an erroneous i'm
preston by the additional statement that he said he
gnatt hsgishtuIe nad power to prohibit Chinese i'm
barriers to the Chinese, not only as an act of Justice
10 them, but az matter OF sound policy" Appa-
IN transmission, as Governor Haights recommenda-
ton really referred to the admission of Chinese tes
h III Ihe courts and not to the Introduction OF
Ine CnInese into the state The Sacramento Union,
received last night, gives the message in fu and TO
SNOW snow what Governor Haght really said we qaote the
iOlIOWlnR passage from it,
- me importance OF facilitating immgreton from
tne Eastern States and Europe il felt by all who
are, are InteIested In our material development
moderate expenditure OfmOney to establish agencies
IN New YORK and Baltimore and in Europe would
PROBABLY be of service in directing immigrants to
thls coast ana securing additional means for their
sale anu speedy transit hither. Agents OF this
character could do much towards dinusng
information as to the advantages offered
Dy California, and making favorable grange
ments with railway and steamship cor
porat1ons. We need population-not OF races infe-
ror in natural traits, pagan in religion ignorant
OF free Institutions, and incapable of sharing i'm
them without putting the very existence of
those institutions in peril-but we need i'm
congenlal element and locate themselves and
their families permanently upon the soil; who
can ne admitted 10 an equal share in DOli-
tical privileges, and respond to all the obligations
imposed upon citizens under republican govern-
ment. One great need of California is farming
population from Germany and other European
States accustomed to the cultivation of the grape
and other branches of agriculture, to which our
climate and soil are so peculiarly adanted ~
The people OF the State have 80 often and so en-
phatically expressed their hostility to the
importation of Chinese laborers that their
representatives VIII doubtless leave no legitimate
means untTied to execute the popuIar
will In this respect 1t is Of vital Importance also
that thc infamous business of importing Chinese
1emales by the hundred, for the yilcst purposes,
should he arrested at once by stringent measures |
40 not propose to renew the discussion of the sub
ject OF Chinese immigration i'm an economic moral
or political aspect because it is needless to discrss
question in reference to which public sentiment
mere is SO nearly unanimous. The Legislature
nave power, without doubt, TO make such pro-
visions rs will secure the people OF the State
against the stream OF filth and prostitution that
mas been pouring in from Asia for the past twelve
months, and at the same time secure the working
people or the State against the importation OF a
CLASS whose serVie competition tends directly to
cheapen ana degrade labor While, however, the
people OF this State with much unanimity op-
posed TO the importation OF Chinese, both male and
female, they are not disposed to countenance any
ll-usage OF chinese, or OF any other class within
our borders, The exclusion Of MongQlian testimony
mas been 0ccasioned by the notorious fact that
thelr testimony Is 30 utterly unreliable as In many
ture. Statements in direct connict upon
simple facts are constantly made by equal numbers
upon opposite sides in criminal prosecutions against
Chinese defendants (where their testimony is ad-
mitted), with no perceptible choice on their part
between truth and falsehOod. Notwithstanding
however, the embarrassment which juries must often
feel to distinguish truth from falsehood in the tes-
mony OF this class of persons, the whole policy of
our legislation is to admit all testimony which might
constitute an element in arriving at the truth,
leaving the jury to Judge OF the weight to which
1t is entitled. In pursuance OF this, criminals
have been allowed to testify in their own behalf,
and experience has satisfied urists OF the wisdom OF
this innovation. In addition TO this reason for ad-
mitng Chinese TO testify, it is true that crimes not
against them.
times go unpunished for lack OF testimony which.
fortified by corroboratng circumstances would suf-
fee to insure conviction and punishment. My delt-
berate Judgment is strongly in favor OF the removal
OF all burriers to the testimony of any class or
race, as measure not simply OF justice, but OF
sound policy.