Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-11-18
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE
The Chinese Question Being Ignorsd-0ther
Topics Engrossing Attention-Essentials for
Prosperous Future to California.

DEAR HERALD: A reflection
which forces itself upon the atten-
ton Of the people of California is
that the cities are too large for the
interior populations upon which
they depend. No man can spend
much time about San Francisco
and fail to note that the town is
not only too populous for the State
and coast but for the manufactur-
Ing facilities which are to be found
there. There must be great and
substantial industries to support q
population SO large as that of San
Francisco. The difficulty is inten-
sified by the existence OF a large
and growing Chinese population.
This element is es timated various
Is at from thirty to forty thousand.
THEY ARE NOT ONLY NUMEROUS,
But the Chinese seem to know no
surcease from labor. They work
all day and far into the still
watches Of the night. Thirty thou
sand American workmen would be
equivalent to population, on our
plan Of building up cities, of from
one hundred and fifty to two hum
dred thousand souls. These inde-
fatigabIe workmen are brought
into incessant competition with
the Caucasian workingman, MAX
ing the disparity between the
amount OF employments and the
number who stand ready to fill
them very painful indeed. 1t is very
much to be feared that, the CAM
paign having been ended, the inter-
est in the Chinese question has un-
dergone an eclipse. There is great
danger that this matter, upon
which the whole people of Califor-
mia have spoken so emphatically,
will be used merely as sort of po.
litical stalking horse. Having
served the purpose of carrying a
certain set into office, it is laid to
one side until 1t can again become
effective as partizan capital.
INCEssANT AGITATION
Is the only machinery by which
those East of the Rocky Mountains
can be made sensible of the grav-
ity of the curse under which our
people lie. California should allow
1t to be understood that no party
can hope to receive her vote which
does not pledge itself to take the
Chinese question In hand and pro-
vide for an end to the infamy.
Congress should be memorialized
to abate the nuisance; and, howev-
er often Hayes may choose to stand
in the way of relief to this people,
the fight should be kept up unre-
mittingly. The Pacific Coast can
at last make itself felt in the ma
tional councils If it shall prove
itself to be in earnest. To bring
the East to our aid it is only neces-
sary to have it thoroughly under
stood there that Chinese labor in
California is really the most aston
ishing species of serfdom ever
known on earth, and that its ef.
fects are not only 5aleful upon the
degraded beings who are the chat
tells of the Six Companies, but de-
structive Of the independence and
prosperity of the Caucasian laborer.
THE TWO THINGS NEEDED
To make California and San Fran
cisco prosperous are the expulsion
Of the Chinese and the encourage
ment of manufactures. Our mines
and agriculture have already re-
ceiyed an impetus which will car
ry them to even a higher stage of
development than they have now
attained. 1t is to be hoped that the
capital which will probably be
Withdrawn from stock speculations
when the new Constitution goes
fully into effect will be
employed in multiplying the op.
portunities for poor men to make
q living by. In everything
as to which California possesses
the raw material we should be able
to compete wfSh the East. 1t is to
be hoped that some of the iron de-
posits which are said to exist in
California may soon be utilized,
and that our copper and tin may be
unearthed and manipulated. Now
that the rate of interest has been
materially reduced, it is not un-
reasonable to expect that some Of
our money kings will initiate the
example so generously set by Raj
ston of encouraging home indus.
tries.
KING AMONGST MEN,
Was this same Ralston, however
loose may have been his methods
OF finance, and one cannot go any
where in San Francisco without
hearing lively regrets expressed
that he is not still in the land of
tho living. Everything like pro-
gress and enterprise seemed to die
with this energetic man. Keene
and Bonynge simply took refuge
in flight and Sharon buried himself
In his private affairs. Those who