The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-07-07
Labor and Capital.

Just at this time the labor question
is growing into q magnitude and I'M
portance that make it one Of very seri-
Gus moment with all thinking men.
In every part of the country, and es-
pecially in the Northern cities, mechanic
and labor associations are being rapidly
formed, and they are adopting resolu-
tons and laying down creeds that are
compelled in a very short period Of time
to have q great bearing upon the poll
tics, as wellas upon the wealth and social
relations Of the country The imme-
date cause of this is the rapid intro
duction of Chinese labor into the coun-
try from which the lahoring classes
fear such a competition as will seriously
interfere with their wages. 1t i said,
and we suppose to some extent truly,
that the Chinese can live on much less
than what an American can live on,
and that, consequently, they can afford
10 underworld our laborers and mechan-
les But it must be remembered that
TO live in China on rice and other Ighl
and cheap substances, is very differ
ent matter from living in Massachusetts
or New York on such diet \ China
man in this country will have to live on
the same strong food that our people
live on but there is this difference TO
the advantage of the Chinaman, that lie
is said to have filthy habits, and can
live on 4 cheaper scale than the labor
ers Of any other country Hence our
working classes are jealous of their ap
pearance in this country and are max
ing most formidable combinations
against them and against the capital
lists and manufacturers who employ
them. This presents social question
very difficult 10 solve and dangerous in
It's character. Upon the Red Republi-
can idea that all men are created equal,
the negro has been SET free and hislabo-
pitted against the white labor of the
country; and upon the contamination
Of this event comes the cheap and filthy
Chinaman crowding to our shores under
every sail.
But the feature OF this question
which will mostly disturb the states
men OF our country will be the mode OF
getting rid of Chinese emigration How
is it to be done? All the civilized world
has abused China for ages for shutting
her ports to all nations and being for
centuries hid away like Il snail in
its shell. 1t has only been within the
last fifteen or twenty years that China
has permitted any nation to have politi-
cal or commercial intercourse with her.
and could this country-professejly
the freest under the sun-now close
her ports to Chinese emigration anv
more than TO English or German emf
grafton? We confess we cannot see
how this Government, with the uni
versal equality" IDEAS that have been
inculcated within the last ten years,
can consistently legislate in that dircc.
ton. On the other hand the working
classes who are the bone end sinew Of
the land, are not at all satisfied with
the prospects before them, and are cx-
treme'y restless and sensitive al THE
invasion of cheap labor upon their soil.
There is danger, therefore, that this .
question Of wages and labor between the !
working men and the capitalists of tn.
country will grow in magnitude until
il enters as prominent and controll-
ing question into the next Presidential
election.