The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-04-19
The Heather Chinee.

Il
their duty, they have examined 1870 wit
nesses, representing all classes, inter
/, ests, and shades of opinion on the Pa
cific coast. They find that this influx OF
cheap and docile labor from Asia has
been great thing for that coast, so far
as material development is concerned,
and that many of the capitalists and en-
ploying class have made money out of
it. On the other hand, they find that
these laborers, having no families to sup
port and educate, living on cheap food,
herding together in miserable lodgings,
being thus able to work for wages on
which white men would starve, have
practically monopolized number of
trades and avocations, and in the others
are steadily crowding white competition
to the wall. The result is that white
mechanics and laborers, as a class, are
bitterly opposed to this immigration,
and with good reason. In this they have
the sympathy of many of the Weather
classes, including several clergymen.
The committee find that the habits of
the Chinese in San Francisco and else
where are so filthy as to be perpetual
menace to the physical and moral health
of the community; that they remain
a distinct class, Obstinately retain
ing their own dress, language, customs
and religion; that they have no respect
for our laws, or love for our institutions,
if, indeed, they have mental capacity to
understand them; that their only inter-
est in this country is to make money
enough to live on in China, and that as
soon as this is done they go back, max
ing room for others. But the inflow is
greater than the outflow, and, in view
of the Encouragement to the white en-
igration, there is serious danger, in the
committees Judgment, that the Pacific
coast may become Mongolianized. This
once accomplished, the tide of pagan i'm
migration would pour over the Rocky
Mountains, and roll eastward. If these
people are to stay here, they need the
ballot for their protection, and the theo-
nv of our institutions requires that they
should have it. But to give it to them
would be political suicide, so far as Cal
ifornia and the Pacific Coast are con-
cerned There are enough of them to
decide every election, and the head men
could sell their votes in block to the
highest bidder.
After touching on the other minor
topics-among them the commercial
honesty of the Chinese merchants, the
worthlessness of Chinese evidence, the
feuds and bloody affrays between China
men from different provinces, their cru
city to the sick and to the women, etc,
the committee, taking all the facts into
consideration, recommended that the ex-
listing treaty with China be so modified,
and such legislation be provided by
| Congress, as to check the influx of
Cinnamon into this country. They
would have this done with due regard
to accrued rights, and to humanity, and
they hope the Chinese Government will
see the matter in the proper light. But
the first duty is to the Pacific States and
! Territories.
Commenting on the above, the New
York Sun says:
Gas a cheap laborer, the Chinese i'm
migrant is pronounced by the joint COM
mittee who have been in California in
vestigating him an undoubted success;
as a neighbor, nuisance, as prospect
i've citizen and voter, grave public
peril, which President and Congress had
best be bestirring themselves to avert
The joint Congressional mind finds it
self forced to the conclusion that, unless
we are ready to see our institutions sub
merged by tidal wave of paganism and
pig-tails, we cannot be putting up the
dykes too promptly. The specific re-
Communications are an overhauling of
the treaty with China, and such legisla-
ton by Congress as may be necessary
to "check the influx Mr.. Senator
Morton promises to submit his views in
a separate report"
In the above report of the Congress
sional Committee, and in the COM
mentary, there is nothing new to the
writer. He had been in the West, and
returned in 1858, when Uncle Toms
Cabin was paraded in New York City,
and played in the theaters to no end.
The writer asked friend if New York
was mad he laughed and wondered at
my meaning. then said to my friend ::
1.-The play of Uncle Toms Cabin will
cost New York City millions of dollars
and rivers of blood" 1t turned out to
be too true. Then changing the sub
ject, | asked "Whom do you think
God has reserved to chastise us?" Ny
friend could not answer I said, speak
ing a quarter of a century ago: eve
are morally, socially and politically
building our Tower of Babel, and most
undoubtedly the Chinese will help us
finish it" They are now in our schools
and colleges; in our factories and ma
chine shops, they show that, as a
people, they are capable
and willing to learn; and those
who think John Chinaman has no ca
pacity will find their mistake in less than
twenty-five years hence. Napoleon 1.
said, 1.-THE Mediterranean should be a
French lake. China has had great
Emperors; Khang Hi was one And
with million of Chinese west of the
Rocky Mountains, it would only require
some Chinese Napoleon to make the Pa
cific Chinese lake. a
We raised their flag in Washington
some years ago, and lauded our own
work-we made treaties with them and
invited them to come. Who knows but
the son or grandson of some millionaire
may yet be working for some Chinese
capitalist as punishment for the folly Of