The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-04-08
The Chinese Problem.

totion Oh the cnlnee0 question. VINE
It IL not new thing for the laboring
classes Of that city to occasionally Ego
for that heather Chinee," there is some
thing about this last movement that is
decidedly portentous Of the approach
Of more radical measure than has
hitherto been adopted in that state. 1t
is hard for many people living isolated
40 they must necessarily be in the
woody regions Of this northern country
to realize the extent to which this mon
golian element has become infused into
the population Of California and especi
ally of San Francisco. They cannot
therefore appreciate the intensity of the
feeling that exists on the part Of GER
tain OF the laboring classes towards
their moon eyed brethren. While It is
not true tina. the chnaman has entirly
irsurped any particular branch OF bust
ness, or line Of industry, he has cheap
ened nearly all classes of common labor
to great extent, and the people many
Of them still insist, "wc're ruined by
chinese cheap labor"
But it is not in the cheapened labor
alone that cause Of complaint is found
The gross heathenism, and the grosser
immoralities and intemperances of the
large majority Of the chinese element
on this coast grows ever day more and
more startling and behoves our people
70 look to the cleansing of their moral
atmosphere, before it is too late to reach
the desired object without adopting
measures of too radical character.
Already have many of the insidious
vices Of the oricntals which were first
hut scarcely endured, been embraced
by the vicious youths and lower classes
Of the anglo.saxon population. Port
land our northern metropolis is having
her experiences of this kind and San
Francisco, probably The worst hotbed of
chinese viciousness in the world, has in
many ways reaped the bitter fruits con-
sequent upon the large influx of people
from the oriental cou tries.
The theory of conversion from hca-
thenism to christianity, and the gradual
absorption Of these people into homo
eeneous elements fit to become useful
factors Of American civilization, has
been given up as decidedly impracti-
cable matter BY every body, excepting
perhaps few fanatics, who in Jealous
devotion to one idea overlook the
greater principles that control the ques-
ton with which they endeavor to deal.
The only resourse is to adopt polite
81 measures by way of ame'ioration Of
the existing evils and to ward off those
already impending. The Burlngame
treaty under which the present state of
things was inaugerated has no doubt
been a great thing for some of the mon-
opolies and especially the Pacific mail
Steam.ship Company. But the query
comes home to the poorer classes of our
people, has the commercial advantages
ofFsetted the social and other disadvan-
tages that have arisen therefrom. We
fear not. The San Franciscans are
awakening to realization of the gisan-
tic evil. Whey are holding mass meet
ings, passing resolutions and memorials
and the popular feeling is strongly
aversc to the chinese and in favor of
the abrogation of the treaty. Feeling
hes RIM so high that the leading chi.
mesa firms are becoming alarmed at the
prospect Of riots, destruction OF property
and bloodshed, have petitioned the
Board Of Supervisors to tail not in their
duty to protect them against TIE law.
less classes of that city, and have tele-
graphed to Hong Kong, to stop all fur
ther immigration to this country.
In view of these things the people
east Of the rocky mountains will doubt
less awaken to u realization of the
needs OF this coast in regard to her Chi