The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-02-08


trap standard hus and cry about the hostil-
ity manifested by the American mechanic
against the introduction of Chinese Labor,
as being alike Christian and anti-re-h
publican. His argument is forcible, TRUTH
full and undeniable. His statements con
corning the depreciation Of property in
Beaver Falls, since the importation Of Cool
les into that town is corroborated by nearly
every resident of the place. We commend
it to our Pecksniffian philanthropists who
are believing about protection TO American
industry, who believe in protecting the
manufactured article at the expense Of the
American mechanic and who protest
against the importation of heather hordes
as anti Christian, so that our own workman
may be reduced to their loathsome level
He says:
In your issue of the LIST instant we notice
an article on the above-named question,
which is calculated to convey wrong i'm
preston. By your permission We should
be pleased to show that there is another as
pect to this very important question.
In the first place, the Chinese don't come
here to become American citizens, to have
their children educated, to learn our Ian
guage, and to enjoy the privileges and
share the responsibilities Of free, intel
ligent republic. They don't care a fg for
this country They are simply birds Of
passage. They roost awhile among us, in
tending, every one of them, to 20 back to
China again as sooR as they can save one OF
two hundred dollars. With this amount
they will be considered retired merchants"
in their own country, and will be quoted
on Change" and run their own set Of fam
lily idols.
Your auther deprecates the hostility
evinced by mechanics towards Cinnamon,
and says that the coolies may yet become
our manufacturers They are invading
one branch Of business after another, and
what they get they keep They come
here peitnilesS, not one cent Of capital do
they bring with them, and what they earn
here they send to China and when they
return they leave not vestige behind
them They are human machinery they
are made abroad, and simply rented to us.
And these are to become our future manu-
facturers We call for a protective tariff
on human machinery
Your author, to have done justice to his
| friends in the East, ought to have stated
that these coolies live secluded, as a sepa-
rate caste Wives and families they have
none, nor do they intend ever to have any
in tins country but IN order to meet this
| deficiency there are some 400 Chinese
women on the Pacific coast, Of which num-
her over PM are prostitutes, exported as
such bought at $500 t. $500 head by
their countrymen in San Francisco, and
| by their cuultrymeH exposed for purposes
| Of prostitution. Our Government, III con
nectlon with the Chinese authorities, has
now stopped this beastly traffic, and, though
the ulcer still remains 4, 200 strong on the
| Pacific coast, the importation has ceased.
| Such is their social status III America, and
/ such the future manufacturers Of our great
| Republic.
The Beaver Falls PA. Cutlery Company
| has imported one hundred and sixty-ive Of
/ these coolies TO manufacture their cutlery.
In the early part of 1872 they gave employ
mrnt To three hundred and fifty English
and American cutters. and at that time
they we're sending OH some three car loads
Of goods per week At this time only some
nftsen to twenty of our white men are left
AZ the works, and the company don't send
of as many gross per week As thSy did car
loads twelve months ago and what goodi
they do manufacture by coolle labor are
| worthless.
Prior to the introduction II coolie labor
Beaver Falls was a prosperous town. From
1858 to 1872 the population had increased
| from fifty to over hve Thousand. Since the
introduction of Chinese labor, the popula-
ton are moving from the place at the same
ratio, and property can be purchased for an
old song
The one hundred and sixty five coolies
At the Beaver Falls Cutlery do not need
/ even 80 small concern as zone horse
grocery to supply their wants. They du
not eXpend one dollar in the improvement
Of the town, in building churches NJ sup
porting schools. Every shopkt eper IN tile
| place might shut up his establishment 81
far as their trade is concerned, and as for
the country at large benettting one Iota
| from their genius, either inventive. liter
airy, mechanical, or through any other
| channel, the idea Is prepnsterOus. They
are exactly what they seem-human ma
chimes made abroad, and imported into this
country free Of duty. And We think We
have a perfect right to demand if these
machines are imported free, the English
cutlery, French goods and German indus
tries shall come here without a tariff 80
much for coolie labor at Beaver Falls.
We viii take another view ~ the queS-
| ton. not doubling the least that the Chi
nese have a perfect right, as well a. any
other foreigners, to migrate To this country
If they wish to better their condition. But
John Chinaman as ali individual. and John
| Chinaman in gangs, bought and sold by
greedy spectators, to break down the
price Of american labor. are quite different
articles The Chinaman is an exotic which
ought not to be cultivated in the Amer can
soil.
If one hundred foreigners ~ any other
country but China migrate to this republic,
the country is benefited thereby. OF one
| hundred white lahorers fifty per c, mt. would
be family men, averaging SIX per family,
making a total Of three hundred and fifty
men. women and children. This commu-
nity of three hundred and fifty would form
town. support trade, develop resources,
supply churches advance education, pay
for public improvements, and be an honor
and credit to the present, and the germ of
greatness in the future. Their geDious
would be a revenue worth thousands Of
money to our country, and their increase a
clear profit Of millions Of dollars in hume
rical strength, and the development Of our
country's latent wealth.
| Chimes, labor NAV lie a source of wealth