Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-25
The Chinese.

SHALL THEY DE ENCOURAGED TO IsiMIeRATE?
San FRASoIsoo, October, 1869.
Every fifth man on the streets, in the main por.
lion OF this city, wears blue blouse, and has q
pig-tail tucked away In his hat. These are the
Chinese men. Perhaps every hftieth woman you
meet will be Chinese, also; and possibly every
five hundredth child. This is rough proportion,
but 1t gives you fair idea. There is, however,a
Chinese quarter, where they have monorolized
everything, even large and handsome brown
stone building the "Globe HOTEL" which being
purchased by some of their capitalists, Is now q
grand restaurant, saturated with grease and bad
smells, down stairs; and a lodgiug-house, where
sleepers pack like sardines, on the upper floors.
Please advise your friends that any one who re-
commends them, when they go to San Francisco,
to stop at the Globe Hotel, is playing them q
practical joke.
These people, as have already said. arc CHI
ncsc. They are not Immigrants born In China.
and now removed to America but Chinese stay
ing awhile in San Francisco. Their religion-so
far as they have any, and very little goes great
distances the religion Of Canton and Hong
Kong. Their dress is that of the land whence they
come. have been credibly told that one Of
them who should abandon the traditional pig-tall,
and rudely cut 1t of, would be in danger of sud-
den death. Their manner OF life, their civilian
tion, their habits, their mode of thought, and
methods of action, all these, are very slightly
changed, or not at all. In the words of Justin
Mccarthy, here is simply slice of China, cut out
boldly, and transported to an American city.
All this is quite curious; everybody from the
East pyamiupa with urp IN ltflp
amusement. Eastern ladies' look at tho queer,
| Acknowledged ycow-skincd pig-taied, blue
bloused. hollow checked fellows, and say, go!
how funny, aud upon being told that they make
cool house servants, and don't steal an unreason-
able amount, Immediately desire to engage n
| butler, two cooks, two footmen, gardener, three
chambermaids, two child's nurses, aud few
Others for general 'help." Eastern gentlemen,
too, are generally charmed with such class of
workmen, who can be hired by the ybhlpload, for
one month, or a term Of months, and who may
be relied upon TO work out the contract, at rate
| OF wages which would hardly keep our Atlantic
| Coast laborers In tobacco. These facts are
charming TO nine-tenths of Eastern VISITORS who
have been, thus far, mostly men OF means, cap
italists" who sec iu very cheap labor the magic
key that will unlock all their great enterprises,
| aud develop, for themselves, extensive wealth.
Vi this class are those who regard the Chinese
immgrati IN most favorably, and who are urging
that ii will prove blessing to the country.
ahiobb tnNii, III 10 thC poitc uuu IA
celent General Vallejo, the owner OF great
ranches, and other extensive operations also
Ex-Governor Leland Stanford, President of the
Central Pacific Railroad, and large operator In
the business of making fortunes by employing
labor. / am not surprised that these gentleman
aud many others similarly situated, here and In
the Atlantic States, should desire to encourage
Chinese immigration. They want work done, at
the lowest rates, and these people will do their
work, with certainty and puuctuaty, at one
half or one-thlrd what Americans or Europeans
will demand.
From the standpoint, thereiore,of the employ
ing capitalist these people should be encouraged
to come hithcr.
But other considerations in respect TO them arc
forced upon us. Their one quality of patient
labor cannot compensate for many deficiencies,
aud If it be true that they present few or none
other recommendations to us, we shall be c0u-
strained to look with less favor on the inflow of
this prodigious tide OF humanity.
Now this l truly believe To be the case. / cam
not see that the present form of Chinese imiai-
grafton is good for our country. cannot see
that In the particulars now most Objectionable it
promises such change as will make it good. It's
friends make many promises, aud entertain many
high expectations, concerning it, but observers
who are Interested 10 note for themselves sec no
prospect of their realization.
What, then, you will ask, do | complain, con.
corning these poor people? What do | charge
against them? What fault do find with them
Let me reply to those questions in another letter.
H. NJ I