The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1870-09-01
IDAHO WORLD.
THE cooLrE QUESTION.
rrrER rRoM HoRATIo SEYMOUR TO THE WORDING
MES AT ROCHESTER,. NEW YORK.

HE GVQA16 AOGSAASASs#
LETTER FROM HonArIo SEYMOUR 70 THE WORDING
MEN AT ROCHESTER,. NEW YORK.
At mass meeting OF the wofkingmen held
ut Rochester, N. Y, on the 4th OF August the
following letter was read from OK Governor
Seymour on the question of Chinese immigra-
ton to the United States:
Utica. August 3, 1s70-SrR: I put of until
this time my answer to your letter asking ulo
IN sneak to a meeting Mt Rochester, upon the
subject of Chinese immigration, as hoped IL
would be in my power to do So | am sorry
that I cannot attend All agree that it is u
grave subject. It is one that must be met, and
It must be met now. Strong influences are at
work to open the food. gates and pour IN upon
US the worst Glasses OF oyer-crowded China'
They eau get to our shores ut less cost ana III
greater numbers than the people OF Europe.
Ii they continue to crowd in. they WIN over
throw the customs, civilization and religion ol
the whole Pacific coast, and they VIII also
crush down the position of the laboring classes
throughout our country. am against tins.
am not willing they should gain toothold here
No nation in Europe would suffer such an IN.
vasion. liz Britain, Germany or France should
allow anything of the kind, their governments
would DO oyerthrown. Why should We give
up our civilization in any part OF our country
for that of Asia?
II il said we want cheap labor. We do not
want cheap labor. but well-pald labor. lnter-
est a. well rs justice and humanity calls Tor
this Ii all who labor in this country took the
same wages and spent as little money US the
Chinese laborer, our Government would De
bankrupt, and business would shrink up Well
A., e. L., hlIst ma
and fills the national treasury by the imPosts
and duties upsu what IL uses. This Is the
whole source of our financial strength rs c"li-
pared with other people. Ii labor is brought
down 10 the Chinese standard there will ut
once be a difference in the condition of classes
which will in the end overthrow our Govern
ment We pay higher taxes and interest than
any other people, aud il the price at labor Is
put down To Asiatic rates, capital VIII swallow
up the earnings of toll more rapidly than was
ever vet done in the history Ut nations. 1t
this is To be our future, we have lost IN vain
nearly million of lives in the late civil war.
IL ID not the object Ut government to underscil
others, 10 pinch ourselves that We may pinch
others The great end oil craftsmanship - Ia
give comfort aud plenty I" each home. and 10
take care that labor is well paid. We should
seek 10 give happiness To each hresidu circle.
and not to ill the Golfers ot capitalists
Ii ID said by some, ii We shut out Chinese
immigration, We do 50 in the face oi all our
former professions. This Is not 50. We invite
European immigration, because It adds to our
power and happiness. Europeans do n"t over
thr"w our customs, religion or CIVILIZATION.
They do not bring here any strange blood Ii
has always been our practlc. To shut out AM
immigration that is hurtful. We send back {"
Europe criminals or paupcrs by virtue nj State
aud National laws. Every city and town
guards against iucomers who endangrr social
order or safety. We are in no way bound To
take into our public system any nlsrhlrsous
elements or to destroy IL by personal Iniiu
enc.s. Ii We believe in our religious crreds.
in the forum aud principles OF our government,
then We must believe that Asiatic crrcIs aud
customs are balrful. To-day we are dividing
the lands Of the native Indians into States.
counties aud townships We are driving oh
from their property the game upon which they
live by railroads We tell them plainly they
must give up their homes and property and
live upon corners af their own territories, be-
cause they are in the why OF our civilization
If We can do this, then we can keep away an
other form OF barbarian which has no right
here
| have no doubt the Chinese have useful
qualities. They are said to he good servants,
ready TO do the work Of men or women. but
they have not the traits which viii build up on
this continent u great and high toned power.
We must not Judge of those who come here
by those who stay at home. We get only the
dregs. There is but one way OF dealing in
this matter. The policy of exclusion must be
as sharp and as vigorous as that Of Massachu-
sets or New York against the coming pauper
ism It must be borne in mipd that. under the
late amendments to our national constitution
you can give them no qualified condition.; You
put upon them no political restraint. made
necessary by their peculiarities They can
grasp the right of voting und law.making des-
pite Of all State legislation. Ii is to be hoped
that this subject viii be taken up and discussed
in fair and temperate way by AL classes We
must not let it drIft and settle itself Unless
We are ready to give up the consequences of
this new danger to the public peace and happi.
ness Of our home people, We must confront the
problem ut the outset
Truly yours, HoRATIo SEYMOUR.
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