The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-05-20
CHINESE CHEAP LABOR.
Interesting Lecture by the Hon. Phillip A.
Roach, Of San Francisco.
A coOeat Argument In Favor Of the Mobilization Of
the eurlIngams Treah.

% Saturday evening last five hundred citi-
zens assembled in Farwell Hall, to hear a lee
ture from the Hon. Phillip Roach, of Cal
ifornia, State Senator from San Francisco,
on the Chinese cheap labor question. Among
those present on the platform were ]. De
Barth Shorb, Of San Francisco Hon. John
Hise, Commissioner Burdick, and Messrs.
ODonnell and McGilveray, President and
Vice President of the Workingmen's Union.
A. c. Cameron was called upon to preside,
and introduced the lecturer, who is . rather
medium-sized, white haired gentleman, well
preserved and pleasing in his address.
On coming forward he apologized for the
present being the first time he ever visited
Chicago, and then proceeded to eulogize her
greatness, paying a well deserved tribute to
that Phoenix of which our readers have heard
and read so much. Such city a. Chicago.
he thought, would have the courage to aid
the Pacific Coast in her endeavor to get rid
of a calamity which
THREATENED HER MORAL INTERESTS.
He alluded to the monster meeting Of April
5th held in San Francisco. and spoke Of its
magnitude ss . gathering Of the people
The night if there had not been good coun-
sci, there would have been trouble But
wiser heads prevailed. The working classes
were only held down now by the moral in
huences Of few men. The object Of his 70.
ing to Washington was to ask Congress that
Arts. and of the BurlingAme treaty be
repealed. They wanted trade with China,
but tLey did not want Chinese immigration.
They did not want . commercial treaty if
the immigration was continued. Everything
that China produced could be produced In
other countries. And he said that our wo-
man, if they knew the extent Of the evil,
would desist from drinking tea, il necessary.
He drew the contrast between
CHICAGO AND SAN FRANCISCO
during their early contest for supremacy.
He held that when Chinese cheap labor be-
gan to come into San Francisco her other
immigration fell of San Francisco, with
her one-third population Of California, was
10000 behind Chicago. Chicago was out of
the lines of Chinese emigration. and had
been settled by the Celt, Teuton, Swede.
Pole and Bohemian, and he was surprised to
hear these languages spoken in this city He
meant only to discuss the labor question.
The tendency was to do away with individ.
uAls to give place to corporations Little
thread and needle stores and laundries were
done away with, and everything was now
done by capital, which was all the time max.
ing itselt stronger There was NO chance to
compel corporations to live up to their char.
ters. Good Judges were through their infiu.
ences thrust from the Bench, through thu
machinery Of conventions. He had known Of
good Judges in California having been com.
PEELED to resign by these corporations. The
atmosphere Of to-day was changed, and va
falling upon the heart and hand Of labor
which was concentrated by corporations,
Greenbacks had been boarded when thev
were plenty, and 50 with gold. They had
been cornered and run up by
wALL-srRREr sHARKs.
who ruined merchants and 6aukers ON that
memorable Black Friday in September. The
trade dollar in San Francisco had been
reduced to % cents BY the Pacific Coast
Ring The whole efforts Of the Currency
Ring was to render the compensation of L.
Dor less. The capital of New York banks
aggregated 10000. 900, while the profits |
there last year aggregated nearly &c. ooO,-
600. Such could not DO the case with well. |