The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-17
CHI AR L ES TON.
THURSDAY MORNING, JUNE II, 1869.
John Chinaman In the South.

John Chinaman In the South.
A planter who has evidently given much
attention to consideration Of the labor
fquestion, sends US an article upon the sub
ject of the introduction Of coolies into the
South. It may be reduced to the following
propositions:
l. It will take half century to bring
into the States Of the South enough Irish,
Germans or English to supply the labor de-
mand, and it is doubtful if the Atlantic and
Gulf coasts will ever have q suficiency Of
those people for laborers. 1sit, then, wise
to wssta our patience and money in trying
to overcome the deep rooted prejudices Of
the European immigrant, when it is possi-
BILE to import Immediately 200, 900 Asiatics
who will work as well, and doubtless better
in eur climate, and whose treatment will be
so far superior to what they have been ac-
customed to at home that they cannot fail
to be contented?
2. The statement that the Chinese are
vicious and bloodthirsty is untrue, or else
every account we have Of that people from
travellers, and from persons who have vis-
tied amongst them, is gross misrepresen-
tation. No people, such as tie Californi-
ans say the Chinese are, who are not con-
serYative and law abiding, could have sus-
tanned for 1000 years civilization over q
population now numbering 200, 100000.
8. The coolies are better adapted to our
system of labor-the plantation system,
and no other is to be thought Of in the sea-
coast region Of the South-than any other
immigrants. ..-,
4. The Asiatic is not our inferior nstu-
rally. He is only behind US in mental cul-
ture, and equality in these respects will
soon be attained when he becomes our coun-
trymsn and compatriot.
s. No one whs understands the innate
antsgonism Of the two races will for mo-
ment spprehend the social or political
smalgamation Of the coolie with the Afri-
can. Besides, with an abundant laboring
population, it will be quite as easy to con-
troll the political action Of our coolies a. it
Is for the people Of the North and the Old
World to control the political action Of the
Same classes in their own society, viz: by
refusing employment to, or by discharging,
the laborsr who opposes at the ballot the
political interests Of his employers.
6. The prejudices Of the European immi-
grants are 50 strong that none who possess
the means ofpsying their way TO tho North
west care to come to the South. And what
is the cost Of those who do comet 1t costs
$50 to bring an European family South.
When they arrive they are nearly destitute,
and their employer must buy them beds,
blankets, plates, knives and forks, cooking
utensils, shoes, clothes, and dozen other
things, aggregating $25 more. The man
is paid $40 month wages, and his rations
of bacon, -four, corn meal, molasses, vege-
tables and coffee cost So month additional.
White labor is so scarce that the newly ar
rived immigrant may be tempted to desert
his employer when he has worked for q
couple Of months, and the planter IS left
in the lurch to the tune Of $50 or $50.
And work must be found for the wife Of the
white immigrant She will not 60 into the
field, and what else can she do! Yet the
man says he cannot support his family un-
loss you give his wife employment.
7. The white immigrant is ignorant Of
the use Of our implements, and for long
time requires the services of q skilled ma
tive laborer as his instructor.
6 Our correspondent says in conclusion:
"Let those who prefer the European en-
"ploy him. advocate the coolie, and pro-
'poss to take Immediately the necessary
"steps leading to supply for next years
Operations. The negroes would do,
"but there are not enough. There is the
Grub in that quarter"
Without discussing the positions taken by
our correspondent, we may remark that the
Newberry Immigration Society in this State
has proved the practioability Of the intro
duction of white labor on small scale, and
we believe that the immigrants have in
every instance given great satisfaction by
their intelligence, industry and sobriety.
This, however, is not the point. In the
words Of Mrs. Glass, we must first catch
our hare. As we have said over and over
again, it will be many years before there
will be any very considerable white immi-
grafton to the cotton and rice growing States
of the South. But labor we must have, or
the State can make no progress. Weprefer
the white laborer, the unde6led white man,
to any Asiatic or African. We want white
men to strengthen our moral fibre and to
give tone to the body pOlitic, as well as to
till our fields and work in our factories.
But the feeling against US is so intense and
tho Western competition for white laborers
is 80 active, that South Carolina, at all
events, has NO shsnoe Of obtaining from
abroad, within reasonable time, the pop
ulstion which she needs. This Is the key