The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-28

THURsDAY.... .t.......5UhiSS' a0'o
,r,,, sy,,,,ea .; labor Question: Wow
ar xocu stuart Mili, the Ecosfamis s
ArIaNoN. FRANCS, October % 1907
,oar Sir'-!The subject ON which youh
.sk"d NV opinion involves two OF the mos
diflie,,lt and embarrassing questionstol 20
Iitical morality-the extent and limit OF TN
right of those who have first taken posses
sion Of an unoccupied portion OF the earth,
surface to exclude the remainder OF man
kind nom inhabiting it, and the mean
which can be legitinately used by the NOR
Improved branches ofth human species t.
protest themselves from being hurauiiy en-
cToached upon by those OF lower graae Y
civilization. The Chinese immigration lnSs
America raises both these questions. IL
furnish a general answer to either OIL theh
would be most arduous undertaking.
Concerning the purely economical view
OF fhe subject entirely agree VILE you
and IL could hardly DC .betier STAT
and argued than 1t Is IN tn G,,ot ~ Tho The
in the New York Tribune. l.. ID. crrat
Chinese immigration, If It a t.am fniu.
dimensions, must be ec omot noplila-
rious to the mass Of the prestGhn e;r pv Wnnes
tion tnas ~ .' ~, q lower state OF pnysl-
, av,auafnrt ,nd well-bcing, nave no man
Su co. h",,ht Nothing can be more fail;s-
l H., VI thon the attempts to make out tnat
s svus + s lower wages is the way to raise
them or that there IS any compensation In
nnv economical point OF NEW 10 Inose
WHOSE labor is displaced or who are Obliged
~ .rorE for a rreatly.reduced remunera-
ton. On general principles this state OF
things. were It sure to continue, would JUS
tify The exclusion Of the immigrants on the
ground that with their habits in respect to
formulation only temporary good is done
10 the Chinese people by admitting part OF
their surplus numbers, while q permanent
harm is done in a more civilized and I'M
proved norton of mankind.
Rut there Is much also to be said on the
other side. Is it justifable to assume that
The character and habits Of the Chinese are
unsllsccptible of improvement? The lnstl-
buttons of the United States are the most
potent means that have yet existed OF
spreading the most important elements OF
civilization down to the poorest ana naost
ignorant OF the hboring masses. Ii every
Chinese child were compulsorily brought
under your school system, or under still
more effective one, If possible, and Kept
under it for sufficient number OF years,
would not the Chinese population be In
time raised to the level of the American l
believe, indeed, that hitherto the number OF
Chinese born In America has not been very
great but go long as this is the case, so
long THAT is) as the Chinese do not come III
families and settle, but those who come are
mostly men, and return to their native
country, the evil can hardly reach SO great
q magnitude as to require that it should be
put stop to by force. .,..,... 81.
e q - snff trnc n
me not only, desirable, but absolutely called
for-thc most stringent laws against intro
ducing Chinese immigrants as coolies-l. e.,
under contracts binding them to the SER
vice of particular persons. All such obl-
cations are form Of compulsory labor
that is, of slayery-and though I know
that the legal invalidity OF such contracts
does not prevent them from being made, I
cannot but think that if pains were taken
to make it known to the immigrants that
such engagements are not legally binding,
and especially If it were made q penal
offence to enter into them, that mode,
at least, Of immigration would re-
ceive considerable check; and it
docs not seem probable that any other
mode, among so poor q population as the
Chinese, can attain such dimensions rs to
compete very injuriously with American
labor. Short ofthat point, the opportunity
given to numerous Chinese Of becoming Ia
iniliar with the better and more civilized
habits OF life is one of the best chances that
can be opened up for the improvement of
the Chinese in their own country, and one
which it does not seem to me that it would
he right to withhold from them, .-,
lam, dear sir, yours very sincerely,
.g.t e.- IG .,.sf j. s. MILL.
Henry George, Esq, San Francisco.
SECOND LETTER FROM MR.. MILL.
AyIGNoN, February 13, 1870.
Dear Sr,-I presume I am indebted to
you for sending me the number Of the Chi
cago Tribune which commented on my sup
posed opinions respecting Chinese immigrl-
ton. Nothing could be clearer or fairer
than the editorial statement of the reasons
which, In my opinion, might justify the ex-
clusion OF immigrant laborers of lower
grade Of civilization than the existing in
habitants. But never said that in America,
and In the present circumstances of the case
it ought TO he done. My letter on the SUBJ
ject to California citizen, who had asked
my opinion, has been SO much misun-
derstood that i cannot, but think the
copy of my letter, which I understand
appeared in the newspapers must have been
n mutilated one. / distinctly declared that
in my opinion the right course to be adopt
ed is to endeavor by education to bring the
rising generation of Chinese up to the level
Of Americans. Ii there is little or no rising
generation the Chinese not being pcrma-
ncnt settlers), said that in that case their
coming could be no such evil to the laboring
classes as to justify it's prohibition, while the
opportunity it gives Of conveying the ideas
Of more civilized country into the heart
OF China Is an advantage to the people of
China of which Il said) do not think it
would be right to deprive them. The only
mode Of immigration which ! said that 1
thought should be prohibited is the bring
ing over Chinese as coolies under engage
ments to work for particular persons, which
is form Of compulsory labor, or, in other
words, of slavery. -
l am, dear sir, yours very truly,