Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-18
THE CHINESE.

THE CHINESE.
TIEWS OF LATE SENATOR MORTON
The Protection Guaranteed by the La,rs o,
the Land. the Fruits of the Great Civil
War, Must be ifOrnia'.
Present Prosperity Generally Due to the
Olire Eyed Laborers.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE paper embody.
ing the views of the late Senator Morton on
the Chinese question, submitted to the Senate
to-day, is to considerable extent fragmentary
but the character of the conclusions reached BY
him as an individual member land minority
Of one" of the Joint Congressional Committee
on Chinese immigration, are clearly shown by
the following synopsis: American institu.
lions are not arbitrary in their character, not
mere creations of the force of circumstances
but are based on the great and eternal doctrines
of the equality and natural rights of man. W.
profess to believe that God has given to all
men the same rights without regard to race OF
color, yet it has taken. one hundred years to es
tablish this doctrine by legal formula in on,
government, and there are still large numbers
who do not in their minds admit its truth, and
practically deny it by preventing it from being
carried into effect. 1t is proclaimed in the
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE,
and recognized by our constitution that on,
country is open to immigrants from all parts OF
the world, an asylum for the oppressed and un-
fortunate. While China and Japan, yielding
to Western civilization, and especially recog-
nizing the force of the example and policy of
the United States, have abandoned their policy
Of
EXCLUDING FOREIGNERS,
it is proposed that we should adopt their cast
OH policy, and the same arguments used at one
time in these countries to justify exclusion,
are reproduced here, namely, that the admis-
sion of foreigners interfered with the trade and
labor of their people, corrupted their morals
and degraded their religion. The strength and
endurance of our government does not depend
on our material wealth and prosperity, nor will
they be insured merely by the great diffusion
of education.
OUR ONLY ABSOLUTE SECURITY
consists in the devotion of the masses of the
people to the doctrines upon which the govern
ment was founded. My profound conviction
constitutional amendments which may be altered
or abolished, but are the natural God-given and
inaienable right of universal man. Closely
allied to this great doctrine, and in fact its
necessary outgrowth, is the policy which throws
open the doors of our nation to all who desire
retain the right to prescribe conditions and
create safeguards to protect us from pauperism,
crime and disease, and to
FIX THE TERMS
upon which they may become citizens and par
ticipate in the government. To regulate immi-
grafton and to prescribe terms upon which we
will admit men of foreign birth to the exercise
of civil and political rights is one thing. To
prohibit or exclude them in whole or in part is
another. It is both our right and our duty to
make such regulations as well as to protect the
morals and safety of our people
against foreigners, and we may further dis
criminate among nations and exact terms and
conditions from the people of one country that
we do not deem necessary as to Others. We
have always made this discrimination with re-
gard to
THE RIGHT TO BECOME CITIZENS
by permitting none but white persons to be-
come naturalized, but as to the right to work,
to trade, to live or acquire property, we have
never made any distinction. To do 80 now
would be great innovation Of the policy and
traditions of our government, and would be a
long step in denial of the brotherhood of man
and Of the broad humanitarian
POLICY 1NAUGURATED BY OUR FATHERS.
Lie OIL Gue TlSuG 10 UeCOme naCuI-
allied to white persons was placed in the law
when slavery was the controlling influence in
our government, and is now retained by the
lingering prejudices growing out of that insti-
tuition. After having abolished slavery and by
constitutional amendments established the
EQUAL CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS
of all men, without regard to race or color, to
again recognize distinctions of race and color
by excluding the copper colored people of Asia
from our shores, and to establish new govern
mental policy upon the basis of color differ
cnt form of civilization and religion, would be
inconsistent and unsound. As Americans
STANDING ON THE GREAT DOCTRINES
to which have referred, and seeking to educate
the masses unto their belief, and charged with
the administration of the laws by which equal
rights and protection shall be extended to all
races. We cannot now safely take new de-
parture and in another form resurrect and re-
establish these odious
DISTINCTIONS OF RACE AND COLOR
which brought upon us the, late civil war and
from which we fondly hoped God in his provi-
dence had delivered us forever. Although the
enquiry which the committee were instructed
to make does not involve the political rights of
che Chinese, may be permitted to observe that
in my judgment the Chinese cannot be pro-
tected in the Pacific States without representa-
ton in the Legislature Congress, without
a voice in the selection of the officers. Com
pleto protection can be given them only by al
lowing them the rights of citizens. Again, in
considering any proposition to
PROHIBIT CHINESE IMMIGRATION,
the fact should be borne in mind that the
Chinese landing on our Pacific coast come from
the British port of Hong Kong. Hence though
subjects of China they are invested with the
rights of British subjects, and in any legisla-
ton or treaty by which they would limit or
forbid their landing on our shores we must deal
with the British Government, and not that of
China Tn, fho carly dave of California fba
price of labor was exorbitant, and the high
price of labor made it impossible to engage in
Manufactures or any pursuit that came into
competition with the productions of other
countries. 1t is undoubtedly true, notwith-
standing the outcry
AGAINST CHINESE CHEAP LABOR,
that the average rate of wages in California is
higher than in any other part of the United
States, and now stands largely in the way of
the development of the State. It is said the
presence of Chinese in California prevents emf
grafton thither of white people, aud therefore
stands in the way Of the growth of the State.
If such is the fact, which l do uot admit, it
springs from the persecution visited upon Chi
namen, and the gross misrepresentation which
have been made that there have been many in
stances where the Chinese were employed in
preference to whites because of their cheaper
the extent that could furnish just complaint
requiring legislation or political action for it's
redress. No system of labor is
HEALTHY OR PROFITABLE
which is not free, and in which men are not free
to work for such prices as they choose to accept.
Looking at the question broadly, and at the
effect which Chinese labor has e1erted in Cali
fornia, running through period of twenty
five years, 1 am strongly of the opinion that
but for the presence of Chinese, California
would not now have more than one-haH or two
thirds her present white population. That
Chinese labor has opened up many avenues and
new Industries for white labor, made many
kinds of bushes possible, and laid the founda-