, 1870-04-19
TIE CHINESE IN CALIFORNIA

1Ae tS'lulal ant1patny to tho Chinese in
California md Oregon is due, for The most
part, to political demagogism. The Demo.
cratic party found it convenient to cater
to popular selfishness by holding the Chi
nese to be adventurers seeking to take labor
md employment from the white race. The
other purity, instead OF opposing this, and
showing the fallacy Of SO treating tho Ori-
entails, paadered to the same preiudices.
but, being secondhand dealers in what Was
Democratic patent, the latter carried the
state, electlng Governor mud Legislature,
1t was very easy before election to CIV ont
SDown with the Chinese" but, onco in
office, and clothed With the responsibility
Of making laws, the Democracy find them
selves considerably hurdcned with John
Ch1nanan- There is no use taxing the Chi
nese, because they can pay taxes, and still
work for low wages, and grow rich, It is
no use to mob and maltreat them, because
thnt does not drive them away, nor does il
diminish the immigration Of othe,s. Not
withstanding all the political talk of pro-
tecting the white laborer from the competi
ton Of the Chinese, wherever q Job of
work is to be done, the Chinese find way
to get share Of it. OF course, they arc
employed upon no public works; this is
virtually prohibited, but this very exclusion
trom one clnss Of labor, has given them
more Of all other kinds, aud it is
now fast becoming the rule TINT
white laborers get ali the public work, and
the Chinese the most Of all other kinds, In
one sense they havo tho great advantage of
living very cheaply. They are sober and
thrifty, and what a white man viii spend in
day for beer or other beverage, will not
only feed md clothe Chinaman, but viii
enable him to lay something by. He is not
the less intelligent nor akilful as work.
man because he is heathen, and hence It
Is TINT no amount OF opposition, popular
and legal, has been able to dislodge him.
On the contrary, he is daily extending the
unirefsality Of his employment.
While this is true, there il a
hardship among the othas laborers
of California, who have no work, and who
nse seeking relief from the Legislature, by
eaklng that body to make appropriations for
extensive public improvements, the main
object Of which is TO furnish employment,
from which the Chinese arc to be excluded.
This is very doubtful policy. II is lerying
taxes upon the productive labor of the State
TO pay for unnecessary public works, and
the power Of taxation Was mover invoked
foE mora dangerous purpose.
But California cannot always contain oil
the Chinese labor, and it must extend
eastward, but it will not spread
until it is in complete possession
Of the original field The introduction Of
cheap labor must have the effect of con-
rerting those who are now laborcrs into
employers. If three Chinameu can work
ut a profit for the nggregato wages neccssa-
r. to support one white man, the best poll
cy for the latter is to ccaso personal labor
and hire half dozen Mongolians. In q
Stnte like California the field OF labor is in.
crhausti}le- If one brunch is ovcrstocked,
there is no limitation to the opening of new
ones. Tho farms md the gardens NAV he
trelled; the cheap laborers mny DO pnt in
the forests, and in the mines, and at every
occupation from which profit may be de-
rived and the white man, though be may
no longer be able to compete for living,
working side ly si1e with these men, can
find it to be more to his profit to become
| the capitalist and employer OF these nan,
and, from tho proceeds of their labor and
lis own management, mako more money
than he would were these people not there.
The cry of determination is altogether
too late in the worlds history. Asiatic i'm
migration is but In its early infancy. Each
year our intercourse with China and Japan
will inc7ease, and with that increase will
como hither annual swarn,s Of these people,
Nor is their Introduction inadvis.ble. They
como aa laborers and as skilful artisans.
They come TO put soil under cultivation to
fell forests; to mine the u,ountaina aud en-
gage in every branch OF industry tlat will
add to the national wealth. They come not
AT politicians or off1ce-seekers, but a. pto-
ducesa. They como to make grass and
grain grow where none grew before; they
come to ponr into the common store OF na-
tiounl wealth the products of cease1ess, Wig
ilant, and skilful labor.
The Democratic party in California arc
turdened with tho question. what to do
with John Chinaman. That party reached
po yer and place under general idea that
it would get rid of the Chinese, but how
can it do so? He will not 50 voluntarily,
and there is no lawful power to expel him
Tho party promised to do something, but
there is nothing it can do. That Democrat
in California will be the true statesman who
will boldly tell the party to do nothing; to
let the Chinnnan alone