The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1870-07-23
The Chinese Question in America.

The Chimes Question in
The late mails show that the American people
are becoming excited over the threatened influx
of Chinese and coolies. There are two phases OF
the question there, however, as well as here, which
should not be COMPOUNDED. The coOhe traffic is
one phase of it. This is illegal, under the pres
ent laws of Congress, is debasing, and ought to
be stopped. The other is the immigration of free
Chinese, which is perfectly legal and sanctioned
by treaty and international usage. 7s'-i
Congress is discussing the coolie traffic and
servile labor, and how to stop it. 1t does not
seek to interfere with or in any way check volun-
tary immigration, or with the Chinese making
contracts for themselves to labor anywhere; but
simply aims to break up the custom of import
ing Chinese on three or four years contracts, then
hiring them out to the best bidder by the import
ers. Agents are now. introducing them into
Mississippi, Texas, South Carolina, Massachusetts,
and other States and it is to prohibit this SER
vile labor and abominable coolie system, that
new and more stringent laws are called for. The
bill before Congress provides:
That every contract for labor or service which, or any part
of which, is or shall be the consideration for or in respect TO
the passage or transportation of or for any alien from any for
eign country TO the United States, or from the United States
to any foreign country, which provides for a longer period of SER
vice than six months, is hereby declared to be void and any
person who shall, Contrary to this Act, contract with any such
alien, or enforce or attempt to enforce such contract, shall be
deemed guilty of a misdemeanOr, and upon conviction thereof by
United States, shall be punished by a fine of not less than
$1,000, nor more than $4,000, together with the costs of prose-
cution. onehalf of which shall be paid to the informer and the
other half 10 the alien with whom such contract shall have
been made, upon condition that he Immediately return to his
native country, under such regulations for the enforcement o
this condition as the Court may prescribe.
Irish and German laborers at the north are
holding mass meetings under the impression that
all the Chinese who arrive in the country are
coolies. This is not SO. The larger part of them
are free emigrants, as free as any Europeans, and
they should be treated as such. The day is not
distant when these islands, the United States and
perhaps European countries will embrace a large
proportion OF Chinese among them, who will serve
as laborers, agriculturists and miners. The four
hundred millions of China are sure to migrate
from their country like swarms of bees, as fast as
they can procure the means to go, and in less
than twenty years they will outnumber the natives
on this group, and be counted in America and
Europe by hundreds of thousands, if not by mill
ions. They are destined to be the laborers in
Hawaii, America and Europe, and the time will
come when they will be sought for as the best,
most expert, and cheapest laborers obtainable,
treated as such.