New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-07-28
WENDELL PHILLIPS on CHINESE DLPORTA-
ZION.

Mr. Wendell Phillips publishes an article in
The National standard Of this week upon " The Chinese
After saying that should and do welcome men OF all
races and nations TO SOIL he adds But such immi-
grafton to be safe and helpful must be spontaneous 1t
must be the result OF Individual VII one! ihg tls
laws OF industry and the tendencies ot the age lhih
human freight is an unmixed evil. The Chinese, lie
thinks, will he valuable additions TO the mosaic
Of G%T 3y'OnN the O01 and mus
have done If the capital Of the country
them in masses to dsg0rge them upon US with an IN
natural rapidly, then their coming will be peril to our
political system and disastrous check u our social
progress The writer then speaks OF NATURALIZATION ana
citizenship follows: ,,
race creed or birthplace. Secondly, every adult must
vote With only natural amount OF immigration. we
TO safely absorb and make the foreign element
But it il easily possible for associated Capital to hurry
thc coming u the Chinese such viii enable
these Money Lords TO control the ballotboX by their
bond servants We hold it TO be clearly within the
province and as clearly the duty Of Legislation 10
avert this danger. Capital is too strong now Universal
suffrage is admissible only on condition ol an edncatd
people. We cannot undertake to educate the Whole
world at once. dctachments million by million, we
digest the whole human race"
As TO the influence OF Cinnamon on the workngman lie
thinks if they come naturally thoy win produce no evil
result but if capital imports them in masses they viii
crush American labor to pauperism.
"That dollar now left he says, after all the bills are
paid saturday night means education independence
The importation of Chinese labor seeks TO take
that dollar from wOrEingnan The true
statesman must regard such policy as madness. The
philantlEOpist must consider 1t cruel and mad too
Every cries out for cheap labor
TO develop the country This random and thought
less cry cheap db6r of the great mistakes Of
beartless and superficial economists We assert uhes-
atngly that cheap productions are an lnnlxed g0Od
cheap labor unmitgatcd evil To insure progress,
the cost of everything but human muscle and brains
must fail In view of such rule, we claim
the right of Government to check any forced
and unnatural importation Of labor. Against such
a claim the advocate of protective tariff cannot con
sstently open his mouth. IL the FrceIrader assails
us with his objection, Has not the laborer
right 10 buy his coat or -four in the
cheapest markets Has not the capitalist
the same right get his stock his labor in the cheap
est marketF We answer, Yes provided there Is no
artificial combination plot of powerful men or classes
10 food the market of one land with the surplus OF
another This restriction is 10 he sringcntiy enforced
in the purchase Of human idbor. The atcof wages Is
hut equivoca that IL worth little Rate OF wages
the necessities OF life His idea of eceSSdreS does much
to fix the rate of wages. "Supply and demand"
therefore, are TO be understood with a qualification
The Chinaman works cheap because he Is "A bar
baTan, and seeks qualification OF only the lowest the
most inevitable wants. The American demands more
because the agesbecauSc Homer and Plato, Egypt and
Rome Luther and Shakespeare. Cromwell and Washing
ingon, the printing press and the telegraph the ballot
box and the Bible, have made him ten times "a much
man."
In conclusion, Mr.. Philips advises worklnen 10 take
advantage Of the numbers at the ballot boxes and TO use
their power remOTselessly."