St. Landry democrat., 1878-03-02

steps to check the evils of Chinese immi-
grafton to the Pacific coast. DIR. Willis,
of Kentucky, vi C as the head of the
sur comm ttee has very carefully ex.
amined the subject. is authorized to re-
port to the house a joint resolution
requesting the president to open cor
respondence with the governments OF
China and Great Britain, with view of
securing a change or abrogation of any
stipulations in existing treaties which
permits the unlimited immigration Of
the Chinese to the United States. The
entire committee, both democrats and
republicans, are agreed on this policy.
The report prepared by Mr.. Willis to
accompany the joint resolution presents
the following considerations:
|. The statistics of the customhouse
for the past twenty years, shows that,
dividing said twenty years into periods
of five years each, the average increase
of said periods is fifty per cent. Esti-
mating the present number of Chinese on
the Pacific slope at $50, 900, which is the
lowest estimate from any source, if the
above rate of increase should continue,
by 1880 the number of Chinese would
exceed the native voting population, to"
gether with immigration from all other
sources, over $4,000. The question there
fore. is not one of prospective but of
present importance, and demanding leg
islation, it these immigrants are objec-
tionable.
7 2. The class of immigrants is from the
fourth or lowest class of Chinese, class
among whom, when in China, the mar
ital relation is ignored, polygamy and
prostitution and concubinage recognized,
ii not legalized, children and wives are
SOLD into slavery, and sanctity of oaths
disregarded, infanticlde, and especially of
females, common and unrebuked, clean
liness almost unknown, and paganism
the only religion.
:, 8. They are mostly brought here
under contracts, by which they agree to
pay to certain brokers, or to the six Chi
nese companies, large percentage upon
their passage money. When these Chi
nese attempt to return home they are
unable to do 30, unless these six compa-
MES give them permit. The companies
exercise control over them greater than
that of the civil government The wo.
men who come are, without exception,
immoral, and are bought and sold like
sheep in the shambles.
4. Viewing the subject from a labor
standpoint, the report says these China
men live fifty in one room, twenty by
twenty. They have no wives, no child
ren, no home in the sense in which the
word is known in America. Their food
is rice. Packed like sardines, and enjoy.
ing none of the comforts of home, they
live on ten or twenty cents per day.
Their whole life antagonizes the Ameri.
can idea of labor.
5. The report argues that they are
unfit to be American citizens, that they
disregard oaths, keep up pagan customs,
and that it is impossible to execute the
laws over them, or to make them regard
sanitary regulations.
6. The chief objection to the Chinese
is their utter failure to assimilase with
our people and institutions. In this
respect they are unlike all European inn
migrants. They have been in the coun.
try for twenty-seven years, and are the
same today as when they first came, the
same in dress, religion, social habits and
political views. The Chinese disclaim
and refuse to assimilate in the body
polite of America.
The committee is also considering the
form of a law to prevent further Chinese
immigration. It holds that congress has
already the power to deal with the sub.
ject and apply remedy.
Mr.. Willis says that there are num-
Der of supreme court decisions affirming
that congress, in it's power of legislation
over such subjects, is not restrained by
treaty stipulations, and that the present |
treaty with China must not stand in the |
way of the legislation demanded by the |
highest considerations OF public safety,