The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-13
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Ftop the NJ J.. Herald
A Democratic member of Congress from
CALIFORNIA; named johnson. has introduced in
the House bin providing that "any State
suffering from filthy habits or degrading
vices or customs practised bv Chinese rest
dents against whom the bill Is especially
directed-''may, If such habits vices or Gus
toms become nuisance, protect itself by
State legislation, Notwithstanding the exist
ence of any treaty between the United States
and the Chinese Government"
Now, there can beno question that every
State should be permitted to protect itself
against nuisances that may prove detrimental
to good health, dangerous to the peace or
order, or damaging to the sound morality of
any community But suppose the member
from California, whose instincts as a Demo-
crat we'll qualify him to judge on the sub
ect, should take broader view of the ques-
ton, and not confne his observations and
olfactories to the poor Chinese alone. There
are more extensive and more putrid fields for
the operations of a law against the accumula-
ton of filthy and bad habits and other nui-
sances than exist in California Therefore
let MIR. johnson give the law universal appli-
cation, and see what he shall see.
For example, there is the noble Capitol of
the nation in the great city of Washington.
Why should it be obliged to endure the in
tolerable efiuvia of the heaps of official cor
ruption that are allowed to accumulate in its
lobbies, in its committee rooms, in its political
caucuses, in its diplomatic cabals, ay, even
upon the very floors of Congress itself?
Where were Mr. Johnson's moral olfactories
when he presented this bill to exterminate
the Chinese-to exterminate them as if they
were SO many rats-while he knew so many
viler and more vicious rats were gnawing at
the public crib? Then, there is the shocking
social atmosphere of Washington. Why did
he not bethink himself of some disinfecting
agent-some patent purifier-to smoke out
the bad habits that prevail to such devour-
ing extent in the well-styled "City of Mag
nifcent Dead Beats?" We pause for an echo.
Moreover, besides the sittings of Congress
there are some fifteen State Legislatures now
in full operation. Here is q domain upon
which the California member could exercise
his nuisance exterminating ingenuity with
marvellous effect. No doubt putrescent legis-
lation was going ON by wholesale in many of
these Legislatures at the very moment he was
Illuminating his rattail wrath against the in
offensive pigtails in California.
Then there are numberless nuisances that
are permitted to exist in our own splendidly
commissioned city of New York. If the men,
Der from California don't believe it let him
ask Bergh, or Oakley Hall, or Horace Greeley.
Bergh will give him data on the swill milk
business, our excellent and piquant Mayor on
Une Albany radical COMMISSIONS nuisance, and
Horace Greeley ON the nuisance of soap and
water in general. Then he can consult our
worthy Street Commissioner upon the posi-
tive nuisance of keeping the streets clean,
which Hercules would find more laborious
task than cleaning the Augean stables. Then
there is the filthy tobacco chewing nuisance
in the ladies' cabins on our ferryboats, tae
cigar smoking nuisance in our street cars, the
treading upon ladies' trails in public places
nuisance, the peddling on Broadway nuisance,
the sidewalk blockade nuisance, the degrading
sham-religious nuisance, the bogus giant
nuisance, the pneumatic boring nuisance, and
SO on and SO on, like the endless chain of the
Greenwich street elevated railway nuisance
Nuisance, nuisance everywhere!
Briefly, let the gentleman from California
for the good of mankind, make his nuisance
bill apply universally, and not confne its ope-
rations to the miserable pigtails wallowing in
the filth of the golden and glorious State he
represents.