Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1870-07-27
Besides, the position of those who pro-


Even if they were not wanted to protect
our manufacturing interests against the
ruinous assaults of combination which
draws its inspiration from the revolution
airy mobs and secret political societies Of
the Old World, there is no objection
which can be brought against them that
will not apply with still greater force to
other classes of Immigrants, whom we ad-
NIT to all the privileges of citizenship and
and labor competition without question.
If labor is wanted for the sake of labor,
we certainly cannot find any that is more
apt, patient and faithful; and if we want,
combined with these qualities, those So
cial, law-abiding elements of population
which, when digested, and assimilSed,
become the attributes of American citizen
ship, we might and frequently do much
worse than to go to China for them.
The charge Of servility and degrada-
tion, SO flippantly urged against Chinese
labor, is without foundation in fact
There is no such thing, and can be no
such thing, in this country, as servile la
ber No man, whether he be white,
black or yellow, can be reduced to bond
age among us. Our laws extend full and
equal protection to all, and none can be
oppressed Or despoiled of their rights.
The contract system, under which part
Of our Chinese immigrants are brought
over, and which pledges portion of their
earning in payment of their transit expen-
ses, is strictly voluntary one. Nor is
it peculiar to this class of immigrants
Hundreds of thousands of white laborers,
! from Europe, have been shipped across
the Atlantic, and sent to their destination
in different parts Of this country, under
the same special contract system.
The practice is almost as old as our
government. and until applied to Chinese
coolies, no small politician ever thought Of
; protesting against it.
But on the score Of ignorance and deg
radation-what are the facts? The Chi
; nese are an educated people, and the
poorest aud humblest among them enjoy
the benefit of their public school system.
y Their general range Of information far ex-
y ceeds that of the European masses. All
= the North Adams apprentices can read
: and write. Can the same be said of all
the lrishmen and French Canadians, who
: constitute the bulk of the intolerants Of
5 the st. Crispin lodges?
= To be sure, so far as religious matters
IS arc concerned the former are classed a.
+ mong the unregenerate keathen and idol
ators, though their heathensm has moth.
. ing barbarous and repulsive about it,
u Their immigration will furnish field for
u missionary effort here at home, and, per.
haps, serve as an entering wedge to the
work of evangelizing the entire Mongoliar
race
But with the religious aspects Of the
case our laws have nothing to do. Here
u w., h. ,,o F,ooJo,, of oon,o;o,oo oc1 .oto,,
Il alton for all sects. Creeds are to be re-
" spected only as they bear good mora
0 fruits.
- If a man is but good citizen and ex
=. empary member of society, it matters
not, in the eyes of our liberal Govern
ment, whether he bows down in worship
:, to images Of Christian saints or Buddhis
divinities, or whether he claims infallibil
ity for Confucius or the Pope.
On the whole, it seems to be rathe
, late in the day to talk of excluding tht
~ Chinese, when our Government has jus
' concluded a treaty with their home gov
= ernDent, extending TO them the right hanC
- of fellowship, and when many of then
y have already been naturalized by GU
- State Courts, and admitted to all the pri
" vileges of citizenship.
We did not brand them as ihtruders
y and threaten to kick them out, while the,
were engaged in building our Pacific R
70 r. Our Eastern members Of Congress
70 uttered no protest when they emigrate,
10 in large bodies to the Southern States, t
y reinforce the depleted industry of tha
~ section.
IN But if they can be permitted to bull
~ railroads and work mines in the West
O- and to plant cotton and sugar-cane in tn
d. South, we know Of no good reason VIII
'o they may not also be permitted to max
uo shoes in the Est Boston Comn,ercit
" Bulletin. aN' s ="
to ---''If there is anybody under the cal
III, lister of heaven that have in utter O.