The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-08-27

I
those who avail themselves Of homesteads
and who are the pride and strength Of oul
rapidly advancing civilization. The policy
of giving alternate sections of land to rail.
road companies has been, her etofore, gener
ally approved, from the fact that the govern
ment sustained no Decuniary loss. the price
Of the remaining alternate sections being
doubled, aud being much more readily sold
in consequence Of the improvement II
appears, however, that the people have
changed their views, and are not willing
that another acre Of land sho uld be donated
for any purpose, except to actual settlers.
The Government should, therefore, retain
possession Of all its lands, disposing Of them
only to actual settlers, and thus put an end
to all spectators in the public domain.
Whenever it shall lie important to build q
road through the public lards, the Govern
ment could aid the company BY other
means, and thus facilitate the work to
greater extent than by donation Of lands,
and at the same time enhance the value Of
the whole. The granting of lands to cor
porations may have been we'll enough in
the early history of our country, when its
resources were undeveloped, and onr people
poor. But these reasons no longer exist,
and when the reason for such laws cease the
Laws themselves should cease.
The introduction Of the Coolie Trade 10
question of vital importance, not only to
the workingmen of the country, but to the
nation morally and politically. While we
welcome all to our shores who voluntarily
come to make this land their home, to unite
their destinies with ours, and to aid us In
developing and improving our vast resources
and to enjoy the blessings of civil and
religious freedom, the masses Of the work
ingmen Of America will never voluntarily
consent that imported contract labor shall
compete with and under bid their own.
The experience in California with the
Chinese, has been very unpleasant and un-
profitable to the morals other youthful sons,
the proper development of her resources,
and the enhancement of the value Of her
property. Admit Chinese and others as
voters, and California, Oregon and Wash
ington, with the most exuberant coil, a
land that literally flows with milk and
wine-the fairest country God ever give to
man, might as well be ceded to China, for
they would ultimately occupy and govern
it. The introduction of Coolies generally
into the country, would soon precipitate
upon us millions of ignorant barbarians, fill
up every avenue of industry, bring ruin and
starvation, alike to the colored laborer of the
south, and the white nottingham Of tine
north. The body polite, like the natural
person, instinctively rejects that which is
loatbsome and unhealthy; and the intro
duction Of this species of slavery into the
United States, whether advocated by states
men, philanthropists or merccnaries, will
soon be found to be fatal error and
madness, and should be firmly resisted be-
fore so pernicious a system is suffered to
plant its feet upon our National threshold,
and destroy the peace, comfort and hsppi-
ness Of our people. This trade is but q
modification Of the traffic in African slaves,
and if permitted to continue, il sure to be-
come an element Of serious discord and dis
satisfaction. For others / am unauthorized
to speak, but for myself here announce,
that l will never consent to establish slav-
cry again, not even for a single day, upon
American soil, no matter what shape it may
assume, or in what guise il may appear, or
from what quarter it may come, whether rs
Chinese Coolies, Mexican Poems, or African
slaves.
In San Francisco, over twenty years ago,
when that city had but three thousand four
hundred and fifteen voters, application was
made to the court over which / then presid-
ed, for the naturalization Of five thousand
Cinnamon, which | declined granting, for
reasons which were then satisfactory to N.Y.
self and my fellow citizens of California, and
to the succeeding courts of that State, which
have confirmed and re-contirmed my decision.
UP to this time can find no reason for
changing the opinion then entertained, nor
can | conceive o. any reason, that because
we have lately, so justly and at such enor-
nous sacrifices, broken the chains of slavery
from the oppressed people in our own cOun-
try. and elevated them to all the rights and
privileges enjoyed by ourselves, we should
open the doors Of naturalization and equal
ity to Pagans, Cannibals and Barbarians,
and deluge the country with newly made
citizens, to be drawn from the Chinese, Jap
anese, Kanakas. New Zealanders, Polyue-
slams, Cafirs, Woodmen and Hottentots;
nearly all Of whom are the most debased
people on earth, whose very touch il pol
luton" few of whom can, or ever will.
speak our language. or have any knowledge
of our laws and customs, or can be bound
by the sacred obligations of an oath.
Our fore-fathers secured, 1.-The blessings
Of liberty" and the glorious heritage Of
our country for {" themselves and their pos
terity," and those Of kindred nations from
which they sprung, who might choose to
cast their lots with us but certainly not for
the unwashed, and in many instances I'm
clothed material above named, while we
have been, and are still casting out from
our midst, and destroying whole nations Of
better men, who were the rightful owners
Of the soil we now enjoy. 1t is a well
known fact that | have always advocated
the education Of our entire people, ana the
protection of all our domestic industries and
produce against the introduction of compel
ing articles resulting from the pauper labor of
Europe. This was done as much for the
benefit Of the workingman as for the capital
ist, to multiply the quantity Of intelligent
labor and advance its compensation; and to
have the employment, the articles produced,
and the money they cost, all within the
country at the same time. If then we do
wish the imported products Of European
pauper labor to undersell the productions Of
our own capitalists, we must refuse the ad-
mission Of imported pauper contract coolie,
or servile labor on our own capitalists, we
must refuse the admission Of imported pau
per contract coolie, or servile labor on our
own soil to underworld the mechanics and
uorkinOman and raduca tho alreadv scantv