Mexico weekly ledger., 1876-11-16
CHINESE CUSTOMS.

THE Labors of the Congressional Com
mittee-Ex-Governor LOWS Testimony
IT. H. Kings knowledge OF Chimes
From the San Francisco Chronicle.1
The Joint Congressional Commission
met Yesterday morning at the Palace
Hotel. The proceedings were opened
by Frank M. Pixley, who engaged the
attention of the Commission tor q few
moments with a statement regarding
the public opinion on the Chinese prob
lem in this city and on the coast. He
said that public opinion had never asked
that the Chinese should be excluded
from the State. The public mass-meet-
lag in April last was participated in by
the Governor and many prominent cit;-
zens, received the encouragement of
the press, and therefore showed that all
were united in sentiment on the alb
sorbing question. The six Chinese com
panies did all they could to check the
emigration, and said they would en-
deavor to send back all their country.
men who desired to 60. The meeting
held in April was not composed of the
Irish any more than any other national
ity. He read the resolutions passed by
that meeting, and closed by asserting
that another meeting, as large as thai
one, could be called at a few days' no
tice. He would prove all he had said
in his argument the other day.
EX- GOV. LOWS TESTIMONY.
Ex-Gov. Frederick F. Low was the
first witness called and sworn, he hav-
ing been Minister to China for almost
four years. He did not believe Chinese
emigration was a benefit t. the State.
because OF the Chinese d~isinclina-
ton to affiliate with American customs.
But the world was so small that we
could not prevent the emigration unless
we blockaded u ports and kept them
out. AS TO the number of emigrants
who came to our shores from China,
the greater number come from Canton,
the most southern province of China.
A great number came from Hong-kong.
The majority of the men are laborers.
The term coolie in China signifies con-
tract labor. In China it is the lower
class, or ungraded labor. When we
speak of cOolie emigration, it mears
contract laborers. The price in China
for such labor is from So to So per
month. The larger number of females
brought here are for purposes of prosti-
tuition. In China prostitution is regard
ed as very degrading. A graduate Of Il
college III China has to bring certificates
that no member of his family has ever
been guilty of prostitution before he can
receive his diploma. The custom OF
MARRIAGE IN CHINA
is that the parents attend to all the pre-
liminaries. A Chinaman who is mar
ried is at liberty to buy another wife.
He does not affect his standing in any
way by SO doing. The children thus
sold have no option in the matter.
Among the poorer classes female chill
dren are looked down upon, and fire.
quently put to death. The religion of
the Chinese is more a code of morals
than % religion. 1t is simply the
philosophy of Confucius. 1t teaches
future existence in a haZy way. To
this teaching the Buddhist doctrine is
added, the whole making a strange
mixture. l regard the teachings of
COnfucius as equal to those of Plato
and Aristotle. The Chinese do not
come here to make 4 home among US,
but to make money and return to their
own country. AS far as [ know, they
dc not come here under pressure from
the Chinese Government. There is no
such thing known in China as Danish
ment for crime. When any civilized
Government enters into a treaty with
any barbarous or semi-barbarous ma
ton, an anomalous state of affairs is
produced. 1t is stipulated that the sub
jectS of the civilized nation are not to
be subject to the barbarian law, and, if
he violates those laws, he must be tried
before his Consul, and the same in ali
civil causes. This is the reason why
China can not open herself to foreign
ers. An American can only engage in
business in the trade ports. He can
not hang out q sign in any town in
China except in the open ports. He
may travel, however, if he has a pass
port from his Consul, but it is not safe
to do so in many parts of the country.
THE CHINESE INFLUX.
In 1854 1000 Cinnamon arrived here.
From "a to $50 arrivals varied from
5000 to 5000. In 1868 Chinese emf
grafton received a strong impulse from
the demand here for labor. The Cen
trail Pacific Railroad employed a large
number, perhaps 10000. If 10000
WHlGc D1cu udu DCCh CLhPlOJS" " ohS
railroad we would have that number of
white men now among us. They would
spend their money here, or alarge por-
ton of it. The Chinese send back their
earnings to China. The road could not
be built at a profit by white labor. 1t
would have greatly increased the ex-
pense. The Chinese performed 80 per
cent. of the work that the same num-
Der of whites would do. Cinnamon
worked for S35 a month and boarded
themselves, while the whites would have
to be paid $40 and board. White men
do not like to work on the same level
with Cinnamon. The pressure of the
Chinese has had a bad effect on the en-
ployment of our boys, crowding taem
out. 1t tends to degrade white labor,
and causes many of our boys to be
brought up as physicians, lawyers ,etc.,