The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-07-06
DAILY PRESS.
MD
Wednesday Morning, July 6, 1870.
PORTLAND :
The Oufcry against the Chiscse.

The cloud of Chinese immigration "no big
ger than mans hand" is producing COM
motion which is foreshadowing of what
may be expected when this cloud rises higher
and fills larger portion of our national hoIi-
zon. The little colony of Chinese at North
Adams have hardly commenced work when
we read of meeting held at Troy to de-
nounce the movement as plan to "cheapen
and degrade American labor by the intro
duction of servile class of laborers from
China" at the same time protesting to "wel-
come all voluntary emgrants from every
ehme'" In spite of this last proviso this is a
stao at Chinese emigration and the attempt
to gloss it over only changes it to stab in
the dark. 1t is nextto impossible for a Chi.
naman to accumulate from the low wages
paid, in his own country enough to pay his
passage. If he cannot procure passage
to be paid for out of his future earnings, he
must mortgage his family to raise the money.
On his failure to pay ...,. fire.
quently happens, the unhappy wretcnes are
sold into slavery, to pay the extortonate de-
mands Of the broker who sold him the ticket
for his passage. Will any one say that it is
more humane to put the immigrant to the
necessity of mortgaging his family than to al
low him to mortgage his future earnings? Is
there anything wicked in extending credit to
Chinaman and taking security upon his
future labor? This system may be liable to
abuse. But it is the safest way he can take
to raise himself in the scale of manhood, and
to deny him the right to avail himself of this,
is to prevent him in nine cases out of ten
from immgrating at all. 1t may be an epen
question with many, whether Chinese immi-
grafton should be allowed under any circum-
stances. But let those who believe this, avow
it openly, and they will deserve more respect.
1t is unquestionably true that the introduc-
tion of cheaper labor will cause more or less
temporary arrangement. The products of
this labor will undersell those of more costly
labor in the same occupations. Hence the
former will continually tend to supplant the
latter and to gain exclusive command of GER
tain branches of industry. The industry of
the Chinese in nearly all mechanical processes
requiring no great amount of originality, will
probably secure them national monopoly of
such work should they come over in sufficient
numbers. During TIE transition some incon-
venience and perhaps distress will ensue to
the laborers who are thus displaced and COM
PEELED to adapt themselves to some other
kind of business. But when the industrial
equilibrium is restored, the result will be
either that the Chinese will become Ameri-
canized and learn to charge as high price
for their labor as native Americans, or else
society will secure at less cost that portion of
work which they do. If some avenues to en-
ployment are thus closed to our native popu-
lation, others will probably be opened. There
will be work enough for those who are willing
to work and who have the sagacity to dis
Germ the public wants. Native American Ia
borers are not worse off than before the i'm
migration of the Irish labOrers The latter
byoccupying the lower stratum of Individual
effort have pressed up into more desirable
position the intelligent native laborers, to the
mutual benefit of both.
That we are soon to witness the contact of
the Anglo Saxon with the venerable Oriental
civilization can scarcely be doubted. Will one
annihilate the other? Or will they merge, Civ
ing the latter more progressiveness, the for
mer more stability? Let us hope that so
many varying elements, when once assimilat-
ed under the inspiring influence of the antag.
onisms produced by the contact of vast moral
forces, will give us a higher type of national
character. At all events, let us never fear to
show humanity and national hospitality. An
intense faith in the reality OF the uIilversal
Brotherhood will give us the craftsmanship
for the occasion. Not above the level of the
humblest citizen, it may regulate individual
conduct as well as national policy.