The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-04-09
OUR CALIFORNIA LETTER.
The Views Of the "InteIIIgeneer" ON the
Chinese Question.

SAN Francisco, April ., 1870
Correspondents Of the Intel lseneer.
have observed that yours is one Of the
few journals in the Eastern States that
seem to have any just conception of tho
merits Of tho Chinese question, which has
lately been brought so prominently before
the country, and which is always promin'
emit here. After IN experience Of over
twenty-five years with Monaghan immigar'
ton, the people Of this coast are virtually
q unit as to the absolute necessity Of
placing limit upon it, although few
thoughtful men would be willing to sub
scribe to the Kearney watch.word
OF "the Chinese must CO." That is,
that they should all go at once.
AS affairs are now organized, their imme-
diate deportation would paralyze many
branches OF industry, and reduce the prof.
its OF others so much as, finally, 10 cause
their abandonment. But II the number
coming here could be limited, natural
causes would gradually reduce them, and
their places be filled by white laborers
without any serious disturbance. The
white laborers are themselves largely re-
sp0nsible for the preference given to the
Chinese in many occupations. Employers
have often found the white man idle, dis.
sipated and unreliable, while the China
man was industrious, sober and trust
worthy, and these qualities made
his labor the cheapest, although he
demanded and received the same wages.
1t is not as individuals so much rs in
masses that the Chinese are obnoxious.
They bring with them the habits, customs
and manners Of China, and years of resi-.
dcnce in this country make no perCepti-
BILE change in them. They acquire the
English language with difficulty, and the
iewest number OF them have any idea Of
the politics OF the country. To confer
upon them the right OF suffrage would be
grave error, as their votes'would always
be for sale to the highest bidder.
Personal observation, | think, would
convince most men that they are an unde-
sirable peOpletO have located in commu.
nifty in large numbers. ! will give you
some facts which the people OF Wheeling,
as manufacturing community, will up.
preciate.
In what is called East Oakland, situated
on the bank OF the estuary which forms
the harbor OF Oakland, is q large establish.
ment owned by the Pacific Jute Manufac.
turing Company, who are engaged in the
manufacture Of grain sacks. The jute is
imported in bales and spun and woven
into the material known Us burlaps, which
is cut to the proper size and made into
grain bags by hand sewing. The machin-
cry is similar to that used in cotton faGto.
ries. This factory is running night and
day, and employs about seven hundred
Chinese men and boys on the two shifts.
Such factory, employing white laborers,
would, doubtless, be considered desirable
accession to the numerous manuiacto.
ries OF Wheeling. The money paid
these seven hundred hands would consti.
tute the principal support Of two or three
hundred families, and contribute indirect
lY TO that oil many others, all Of whom
would have houses forming considerable
village OF themselves. Yet what are the
facts in regard to the operatives OF the
factory in question? Down at the waters
edge, under the bluff upon which the
factory is built, is low, two.story, I'M
painted, wooden building, about so by 60
feet in dimension, built on piles which
are driven into the odorous, black mud OF
the creek bottom. Adjoiningit is another
building Of the same description, and
OF about half the size. At high tide the
water flows freely under them, and when
the tide is out the black mud is left
bare for half mile out. All the surround.
ings are utterly repulsive; yet in these
two houses this entire force OF seven hun
dred Chinese, men and boys, there are no
women live, or rather swarm; for no
American would call it living. The bulk
Of their subsistence and Clothingis import
ed from China by Chinese merchants.
Their savings are all sent to China, and
their sole end and aim is to get money
enough to go there themselves.
have no doubt this company is making
money, or they would not run their iacto.
ry; but so far US l am informed, none OF
the stockholders live in Oakland. so that
with the exception OF few white men
who are necessarily employed, this estab.
lishment contributes nothing TO the pros.
perity OF the city. Its presence depreci.
ates the value Of property in its vicinity,
and there is not resident OF that part OF
the city who would not gladly see it re.
moved.
This factory is only type Of all manu-.
featuring establishments employing Chi.
nese labor. It is probable that many en-.
terprises Of this sort have only been rem.
hered possible in California, BY reason OF
the cheapness OF this class Of labor. But Il
all the manufacturing enterprises in
Wheeling had, in their inception been
compelled to employ Chinese labor,
think the verdict Of the community would
be, it were better they had never existed.
G. L, NJ.