Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-04-01
THE OxE GREAT QUESTION.

whelm the land like the locusts of Egypt
can be stopped, San Francisco, which
has hitherto rested content with the bene-
fits it derived as the entrepot Of Chinese
immigration, begins to see that since as a
city she is powerless to protect herself,
that since the State law is wholly inefect-
ual to deal with the matter, there must
be an appeal to the highest authority,
without which it is idle TO hope for or ex-
pect relief. 1t is to be now hoped that
since q proper course Of procedure has
been determined upon it will not be with
out its effect; that when the subject is
properly brought to the notice of the
National authorities, and the great dan
gers which threaten can be made appa-
rent to the treaty making power, we shall
not have long to wait before some steps
are taken which will relieve us of the
apprehensions which force themselves
upon every rejecting mind.
The Chinese question has been pecu-
liar one in all its phases. The first ap-
pearance of this people was an event so
unexpected, so strangely in contrast with
their usual habits of exclusiveness, that
they were rather welcomed to our shores
than otherwise. AS the years rolled on
far-seeing minds began to appreciate the
future effect of an unrestricted immigra-
ton, and hostile legislation was resorted
to. 1t came principally from tho miners
representatives, for even at that time it
was not thought probable that they would
here for any purpose except
to work in the mines. The mining mem
bers of the Legislature carried through
the License Law, more TO discourage
the Chinese immigration than for the
amount it brought into the Golfers of the
State. And from the time of the passage
of this law the presence of the Chinese in
the mines became n subject on which
mems opinions were controlled wholly by
self interest. 1t was all classes in favor
of the Chinese with the exception of the
working miners. In n commercial point
Of view their trade became of some i'm
portance, and it was held that the mines
usually sought by Chinese miners were
of that inferior kind which had been re-
jected by white men as worthless. And
such was the case to some extent, for the
majority of them preferred to pick around
in old claims with their rockers, TO doing
anything toward developing new ones.
In the mines, notwithstanding their un-
with the white miners, they
were protected in their legal rights by
the collectors, who encouraged their
presence on account of the tat picEings
these officers derived from the collection
of licenses. And there had grown up so
much of corruption and infamy with the
collection Of the Foreign Miners License
that though the Chinese were in less favor
{ al ever, the Act of Congress repeating
the State law created little or no dissatis-
faction. The truth was that there were
SO few Chinese in the mines. that there
were but few counties that received any
benefit from the tax. In the general de-
cay which came upon the placer mining
int, rest, the kind of mines most sought
by the Chinese were the first to be worked
out. That people found other and more
profitable employment working on the
railroads, ms those enterprises were pushed
forward. And it is only in the fact of
their adaptabiity to work Of this kind,
the construction of bitches, wagon roads,
etc, at prices which render their employ
ment feasible, and stimulates such en-
lie prises where they could not be afforded
otherwise, that gives any compensation
for the presence Of this people in our
midst.
The readiness they have shown to adapt
themselves to all the lighter kinds of EN- =
ployment, crowding into competition with
white labor everywhere began years ago
to open the eyes of people to the danger
OF permitting them to come hither in
such numbers. Since the United States
Supreme Court has rendered the decision,
not uneA pected, it is true, but none the
less unwelcome, which leaves us at the
mercy of the Monaghan hordes, the peo-
pie are beginning to do what should have
been done in the first instance, lay the
grievance before the Federal authorities.
1t is from that source alone that we can
hope for legal relief and that relief must
come speedily or the people of California
will be compelled, in self defence, to take
the law into their own hands. We look
with pride upon the growth and prosperity
of our State, which but quarter of a
century ago, was but mountain wilder
nesss and to-day is the home of half a
million of our countrymen. But what
will it become in another quarter of IL
century, aye, III another decade of years
if the dregs of Asia are poured in upon
Us ut the iatc which is now threatened I?
VIII not the people, acting in obedience
to the first great law of nature, turn back
this tide, even if they have to sink the
steamers which bring the immigration to
our shores Mt the wharves of San Fran
cisco. Over one thousand came by the
last steamer and the word is that the car
rying capacity cf every vessel of the line
Is engaged for the next six months for
the same purpose. None can hope to
reap any beneft f ON the presence of these
hordes, unless it be the large land owners,
whose policy it has always been to keep
down the wages of labor. The direct
tendency Of any condition of society which
creates nm aristocracy of wealth on the
one hand and menial service on the other,
cannot but be deleterious to society at
large, bringing us TO condition like
that which existed in the South under
the slave holding regime. Yet such n
condition must inevitably follow the in
coming of the Chinese in such vast num-
bcrs as now threaten.
If the people Of the Atlantic Slope could
understand the magnitude of the danger
which threatens we do not question but
their rem escntutiyeg would ioin hoort