Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-08-28
Chinese in California.

means proves as popular movement
as mere theorists might argue that il
should. The industry, thrift and gen.
eral harmless of the Chinaman may
challenge admiration, and yet the
mingling Of the races be instinctively
repulsive. The feeling that separates
races is a profounder one than senti-
mentalists in politics can apparently
comprehend. In order to excuse the
hatred manifested towards the Chinese
in California it is necessary to impro-
wise some special cry, and it is that
the interests of the native labor are in
danger. And this cry has been of
late caught up by the vagrant class of
street oilers in San Francisco, mostly
the halfgrown Arabs of vagabonds
known to local slang as "Hoodlums,"
who find infinite qualification for their
mean malice in springing their vile
plots upon them unawares, waylaying,
stoning, punching, torturing, robbing'
and even numbering them, whenever
the opportunity offers without placing
the miscreants themselves in too great
peril. And thus California labor per-
mits tie very raft and Stag of the
streets, the outcasts by choice from
industry of every kind, to take its
name on their vile lips and issue forth
to do the work of daylight bandtti
against its allies. Creatures who do
not work day in the week themsel-
yes, the parasites on an industrious
community, set up as the special guar
dams of labor and roam the highways,
armed and insolent, to beat off peace
full people, whom they have no fear Of
assaulting, from their occupations In
Benicia large party of Chinese labor
ers have been thus driven away from
the railroad on which they were at
work, and their camp was broken up.
All from this rooted hatred of the
Hoodlum for the Asiatic.
Whatever may be the prevalent dis
affection in California to the new com.
ers from the East, the reputation Of
the State demands that such outrages
against the commonest principles Of
civilized life be discontinued peremp-
torily. They disgrace the community
that does not resent and redresss them
on the instant. The Asiatic is EMIT
led to the same treatment On American
soil that the African receives. If
there is to be no distinction between
black and white, then there should be
none between white and any of the
shades. 1t need not be acknowledged
that preiudices already have a rooted
existence. There is of course where
all the trouble originates. But no pre-
iudice, in land that wants labor so
badly rs our own, can be suffered to
maintain itself against the labor class
itself Were the Cinnamon "Hood-
lums." instead of the thrifty and hard
working element they are, the posi-
ton they hold might be susceptible of
some notifications. But as it is
vagabondism that presumes to invade
peaceful industry, the authorities OF
the State and its body of public senti-
ment will deservedly lose the respect
of all civilized people if they hesitate
any longer to arrest demonstrations as
cowardly as they are revolutionary.
California will otherwise find itself
very soon at the mercy of revolt Of
the "gladiators," whom it would be q
mercitul policy to fling into the arena
to the beasts. What Cinnamon have
already done for railroads on the Pac
itic might be remembered till this
time ty the people that are protitine
by it so extensively. No other kline
oflabor could have supplanted theirs
at the time when it was most needed
And now to suffer Hoodlum mob tc
indulge in their iruptions on the
Chinese camps, where they are help
ing TO work out the problem of the
States material destiny, is no les,
inexplicable than it is without defence
-BostOn Posi-.
QUcchcc.
-0ur y;1loro coboo1 oo,,,,,,o,.o,