The New York herald., 1877-09-08
SOCIAL SCIENCE.
The Varied Interests of Humanity
Under Consideration.
FAULTS OF THE PRESENT TARIFF.
Congressman Meade On the Difficulties
of the Chinese Problem.
SOCIAL ASPECT OF TIE COOLlE IMMIGRATION
Evil Results OF the Municipal System in
Our Government.
SOCIAL ASPECT OF TIE COOLlE IMMIGRATION


Tho Social Sccncc Association met, with Judge Pea
body, OF New York. presiding
paper read on tho navigation laws OF Great
Britain and the United States by Hamilton A. Hil OF
Boston which gives history OF tho FIRST enactment oil
the navigation laws in England, which were partly
commercial, partly political and intended to prevent
any nation monopolizing too much the trade Of the
world The agitation for their repeal began In 1917
and was successful after desperate struggle 1910
When tho American States ceased TO be dependencies
Of England their tonnage coased to be colonial
and their rcia intercourse with other colonies
nearly broken ur. Failing TO mako arrangements
with England tho uutod States were forced to re-
taaiory policy, beginning in 1889 series OF acts
adopted substantially copying the English laws.
Now that tn ose laws abolished by England they
seem out OF place here, especially during the last
fifteen years they have shown themselves TO DO in
adequate to meet the changed conditions OF American
shipping interests. Copous extracts were given
showing that almost the same arguments wero used
IN the British Parliament during the debates before
tho repeal OF tho navigation laws urged
here against the repeal Of tho American navigation
laws.
QUESTION.
Horace White read paper tho tariff question.
He said bad tariff aud bad currency agsravas the
bic Of crisis. but they do not bring it on. Our
mercc Ia confined 10 too small limits aud cannot in
crease adequately to give prosperity at once. Tho
manufactures of our country In iron, cotton and
woollcn largo for our own markets and others
must be found outside There is pressing need of bet
tor means Of access to all tho great markets OF the
world Tho idle capital in the iron trade in this
try now amounts to $10O. .000 0oo Tho conditions OF
full trade are free trade. Tho free traders
not disrosod to quarrel, but they want
all restrictions removed as possible.
The inventive genius OF our country is proverbial.
Free trade sine qua 10 restore prosperity The
relief Of railroad subsidies is only temporary, lasting
only unt.l the subsidy is expended. Tho country
will be promoted by repeating the tariff,
which Is like a sand bar at the entrance
OF harbor Foreign nations do not want our green.
backs or railroad bonds. but will gladly take prod
uce. If We purchase largely OF countries they will
recprocate and buy of u.s. Tho country is too largely
protectcd We have too much capital In factories
and labor to need protection. We have moro iron
and coal than England Our food production
is SO largo and cheap that II will bear 1900 miles in
land transportation and then compete with all others.
As tor pouper labor compete even In this with
England.
J. S. Moore, OF New York, followed with paper on
the same subject
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
Mr. Edwin r. Meade road paper on the Chinese
Question IS iollows:-
II has beou asserted that in our form of government
wo have policy TO the uture and only deal with
questions Us events force them upon US Chinese i'm
migration is largely u question OF tho future; this
society, therefore, performs an important duty at this
directing attention 10 1t Tor tho day IS not re-
mote when the Chinese population in this country II
continued Will have become est absIcd as one of
institutions An unusually favorable oppori unity hav
been afforded me Tor the investigation of TINS sub
jcct IN California, am led TO present the results of my
hnln in n nn
aud the conclusions arrived At regarding tho same.
The term 'Chnese Question" is in Itself an
Chinese Immigrants wno arc objected to- not.
ably by tho people OF the Pacno States This
class Is made up sxoasvely Of $ common r neSrers or
and CONSTITUTING especially 10 Chira, The third and
Lowest c.ass OF ITS society, the mandarin or ONCE
holder and the mcrclunt constituting the Vthor classes
The 'cooe question:" therefore, seems ODE the more
appropriate title.
EXTENT or THE IMMIGRATION
This immigration has existed nominally for about
thirty years but IN reality somewha less. AT arst
the arrivals were few IN number but Oh the average
have siucc gradually iucrcascd although 1852 shows
the largest OF auy year beng something twenty
Thousand The census Of 1870 indicates The total Chi
nese population IN this country 63,254 against
"a 1888 ia 1850 This statement is probably below the
hsures, which IS To be explained by reason o
these coolies having no permaneot residences, their
desire avoid taxes and their general aversion
to communicate any information respecting
themselves. Tho Treasury statistics show arrivals
UP 10 1915 OF lo0,919 Al 1897 Tor the decade from
1850 1881 and s059 for that from 1850 TO 1871.
For the years 1871 1872 1875 and 1874 the arrivals
were 81 Ar in 1875 ihcr number was 9,UJ3 but in
1876, owing 10 the April disturbance Caliornia, i'm
migration Tell OF To 1888. For the quarter OF 1877
ending March "a, tho numOor, Tor same reason. was
only 9d5; but Tor the quarter ending Juno 81, IL
4, ,o3l making the total grafton, according to
Treasury statistics, 256,0,0 There Is strong rcnux
as well this influx, but nothing reliable Is preserved
by the government IN regard to Its extent nor IS tue
exhibit OF arrivals deemed entirely accurate. The
records Ct the Chinese six Companies in San Fran
csco in nsIances exceeds the arrivals noted by thc
Custom House., aud THESE companies records do not
incude all arrivals. This discrepancy may be IN part
accounted ur by the RESTRICTIONS which The pas
laws Impose upon ship owners. The total Chuese
population Of California al present Is fairly estimated
at from 1870 J03 TO 20J, ,Ou0 ana IN San Fran
CISCO naciuatng IRON 80 900 30 CO. according TO the
season tor labor IN the country these coolies are
chiefly males, between tho ages OF twenty and forty
years.
THE cooLIg woNsx
Tbs coohe women arriving III tins c1urtry are, for
the part prostitutes, anh number about 4, 900
lhe "Pagc BILL, called, prohibiting importation oi
women or immoral purposes passed by tue Forty
third Congress- together with he ADVERSE sentiment ol
Chinese merchants in .hs country, substantially
preclude further arrivals oi THIS c.ass. Durln. the
year ending June 81, 1885, only 25y females were
landed, ana sncu That time their conug has practl-
caly ceased Ihcre are now here aboat IOJ respect.
able Chinese families, all OF whom bclon. TO the nicr
chant class, and tho children IN the country number
from Z: 90 10 H. 0o0 OF which above 1000 are San
francisco.
LABOR QUESTION
Tho c0oiic comes here ldDurcr. I!e pcrsOnilc5
the charaater ~ It's absolutely meuia aspcct--what
the operation OF My centuries 0i paganlsn poverty
anu upprcrs.ph hiNc HIn--a mere animal ma
ahine, performing duties IN his accepted sphere
pui cualy and PATIENTLY but utterly incapable Of any
Improvement; sni in this phase OF the question The
most serious phase of tho problem presented The
quantities OF cOoic labor mentioned aud tue fact that
II can oe secured IN any desired amount aud dis
charged without controversy, renders ~ cspeci-
I ally attractive 20 capitalists and contractors.
African slave lnoor presented 10 some extent
! the same features but IN marked degree cooe
labor Ia cheaper aDd therefore competitive with white
! labor. la CHINA his wages are from six TO twenty
cents per day or from f3 to S5 Per month, when work
can bc procured, VIII Oh IL not always Inc case In
California wages OF all KINDS have been somewhat Hue
! tiatins bui, as compared with white labor, cooic
aoor has averaged tor The past lew years about as
iOlows:- Domescs, ten per cent less; hostlcrs aud
gardeners, lnirty to hty per cent less farm hands,
twenty 10 thirty per cent lcss aDorers, nity
to SIXTY per cent loss; artisans, fifty per cent less
| lluDdryincn, &c, nity per cent less.
Coolies seem adapted to all kinds OF manual work
except that requiring unusual strength, such as iodn
drymon, &C., and their service bears u favorable com
paris0n with white labor 1t has maintained its rcln
tive choapncss, however, by reason OF public sent,
Incnt opposed 10 ~ and IN some degree through the
ignorance OF The coolies themselves, its compare
f,vr alp