Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1870-08-05
uy.B.fDELE PHILLIPS O.V CHI
.S.ESE I.uPOR T.sTIO.r.

Mr.. Wendell Phillips published an article
in The National Standard last week upon
"The Chinese" After saying that we
should and do welcome men Of all races
and nations to our soil, he adds: "But
such immigration TO be safe and helpful
must be spontaneous. 1t must be the re-
suit of individual will obeying the laws OF
industry and the tendencies of the age
Immigration of labor is an unmixcd good.
Importation of human freight is an I'M
mixed evil. The Chinese, he thinks VIII
be valuable additions to the mosaic of our
nationality but they must come spon-
taneously, as the Irish and Germans have
DONE If the capital OF the country sets to
work, by system and wide cooperation, to
import them in masses, to disgorge them
upon us with an unnatural rapdity, then
their coming will be a peril to our political
system and disastrous check to our social
progress" The writer then speaks of
naturalization and citizenship as follows:
The right to be naturalized must not be
limited by race, creed or birthplace. Sec
ondly, every adult must vote. With only
natural amount of immigration, we can
trust the education and numbers of our ma
tive voters to safely absorb and make over
the foreign element. But it is easily posi-
BILE for associated Capital to hurry the COM
ing of the Chinese in such masses rs will
enable these Money Lords to control the
ballot-box by their bond servants. We
hold it to be clearly within the province
and as clearly the duty of Legislation to
nj 10 ctr
now. Universal suffrage is admissible
only on condition of an educated people
We cannot undertake to educate the whole
world mt once. In detachments, millions
by millions, we can digest the whole hu-
man race
As to the influence of Cinnamon on tho
workingman he thinks il they come nat
urally they will produce no evil result but
if capital imports them in masses they will
crush American labor to psuperism.
THAT dollar now left" he says, "after oil
the bills are paid on Saturday night means
| education, independence, self respect, man.
hood.
The importation of Chinese labor seeks to
take that dollar from our workingman. The
true statesman must regard such policy
as madness. The philanthropist must CON
slider it cruel and mad too.
Every one cries out for cheap labor to de-
velop the country. This random and
thoughtless cry for cheap labor is one of the
great mi stakes'of heartess and superficial
economists. We assert unhesitatingly that
cheap productions are an unmixed good;
cheap labor is an unmitigated evil. To in
sure progress, the cost OF everything but
human muscle and brains must fall. In
view of such rule, we claim the right of
Government to check any forced and un-
natural importation of labor. Against such
claim the advocate of protective tariff
cannot consistently open his mouth. 1.-THE
Free Trader assails us with his objection,
Has not the laborer a right to buy his
coat or flour in the cheapest market? Has
not the capitalist the same right to get his
stock or his labor in the cheapest market p
We answer, Yes, provided there is no ar
titicial combination, no plot of powerful
men or classes TO flood the market of one
land with the surplus of another This re-
striction is to be stringently enforced in the
purchase of human labor. The rate
of wages is said to depend on supply and
demand. The rule is sound but so equivo-
cal that it is worth little. Rate of wages
really depends on what the workman thinks
will buy him the necessities of life. His
idea of necessaries does much to fix the
rate of wages. Supply and demand
therefore, are to be understood with
| qualification. The Chinaman works cheap
because he is a barbarian, and seeks graft
fication of only the lowest, the most inevta-
BILE wants. The American demands more
because the ages-because Homer and Pla-
to, Egypt and Rome F; Luther and Shaks-
peare, Cromwell and Washington, the
printing press and the telegraph, the ballot
box and the Bible. have made him ten
times as much of man."