Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1878-01-19

eigners, and VIC may further discriminate
among nations and exact terms and condi-
tions from the people of M country that
we do not deem necessary as to others. We
have always made this discrimination With
regard, 10 the right to become citizens by
permitting mono but white persons to BE-
como naturalized, but o. to tho right to
work. to trade, to live or acquire property,
have never made any dlstinction. To do
now would be agreat innovation upon
the policy and tradition ofour government
and would be q long step In the denial of
the brotherhood of men and of the broad
policy inaugurated by our
fathers. The limitation of right to become
naturalized to white persons was placed in
tho law when slavery was the controlling in.
fluencc in our government and is now re-.
tanned by . few lingering prejudices grow
ing out of that institution. After having
abolished slavery. and BY constitutional en-
actments established the equal civil and DO
litical rights of all men without regard to
race or color, can We again recognize dis
tinctions Of race and color by excluding the
copper colored people of Asia from our
shores. and to establish . new government
policy upon a basis of color or different form
Of civilization and religion? Wonld it be
inconsi latent and unsound? As Americans,
standing upon the great doctrines to which /
have referred and seeking to educate the
masses into their belief, and charged with
the administration of laws by which equal
rights and protection shall be extended to
all races, We cannot now safely take q new
departure and in another form resurrect and
re-establish these odious distinctions OF race
In my Judgment the Chinese cannot be pro-
tected in the Pacific states, without represen-
tation in legislatures or congress, and with
out a voice in the selection Of officers. Com
plete protection can be given them only by
allowing them to become citizens. Again,
in considering any proposition to prohibit
Chinese immigration, this fact should be
borne in mind that the Chinese landing up
on our Pacific coast come entirely from the
British port Of Hong Kong. Hence, though
subjects Of the Chinese empire, they are in
vested in that respect with the rights of
British subjects, in any legislation or treaty
by which he would limit or forbid their
landing upon our shores. We must deal
with the British government and not that
of China.
In the early days Of California the price
of labor was exhorbitant and these high
prices made it impossible to engage in man
u%factures or any pursuit that came in compe-
tition with the productions of other cum
tries. 1t is undoubtedly true, notwithstand-
ing the cutlery 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 stand largely in the
way of the development of the :ta'e. Loci.
ing at the question broadly and at the effect
| which Chinese labor has exerted in Cali
%fornia, running through a period of
twenty-five years, l am strongly of the
opinion that but for the presence of Chi
nese California would hot now have more
than one half or two-thirds her present white
population, and that Chinese labor has
opened up many avenues and new indus
tries for white labor, made many kinds Of
business possible, and laid the foundations
of manufacturing interests that bid fair to
rise to enormous proportions.
Mr.. Moron adduces evidence given be-
fore the joint congressional committee which
Chinese is fully equal to the white people.
About 5000 Chinese women have come,
most of them prostitutes imported by pro-
curers who manage to dispose of them on
their arrival. The better and greater part
Of them are opposed to this degrading and
destructive traffic, and have made repeated
efforts to abolish it or ignore the RESPONSE
bility Of their importation. But when we
consider the extent and effect of white pros
%titution in all our large cities, we cannot
charge this to the Chinese as an original Of
Tense, or as one peculiar to their color.
In conclusion, he says labor does not re-
quire that the price shall be fixed by law
or that men who live cheaply and can work
for lower wages shall for that reason be kept
out ofthe country.