Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-02-26
GOVERNOEE SEYMOUR
On the Chinese Questionable Regards
as an Unmixed EVIL the Presence
OF the Chinese in this COu1-
try-HIs Views at
Length.

U0ca Observer: Governor Seymour enter
| tains decided opinions on the Chinese ques
ton. Without subjectiDg him to the torture
of an INTERVIEW" the Observer is able Il
present accurately, but not authoritatively
| his views on the subject. He thinks that the
| presence of the Chinese in the United States
is an unmlxed evil. They are able to worA
| for a fraction of the sum that will support ar
| American. That means simply that then
| wants are fewer, and that their social rela.
| tons are different. The Chinese women who
| come over are almost all abandoned charac-
| tiers. 1t Is by destroying the first great con-
| ditlOn of life, the family, that the Chinese
are able to offer their services at ruinously
| low rates. The thousand wants, desires
and ambitions, which are the outgrowth
| of European civilization, are not shared 10y
| these people of Asia. Ten years ago, when
| Governor Seymour argued against the COM
| ing of the Chinese, ne was answered that
| there were only twenty thousand of them 10
the United States; that the number would
never increase to any considerable extent,
and that he was simply fighting a
shadow. Now there are one hundred
and fifty thousand of them. There would
probably be three times that number but for
the increasing opposition to their immigra-
ton. As it is, they are here In sufficient
numbers to threaten the prosperity of mil
lions Of workingmen. They are used as a
menace. Laborers on the Pacific slope live
in constant dread that they will be discharged
and their places given to the Chinese. This
gives rise to riotous and lawless demonstra-
tons, which, while they are always to be
condemned, will coetinue to exist while the
provoking cause remains. So far as the la-
hux of the Chinese produces an effect on the
business relations of the country, its tenden-
cy is to lower wages. But low wages, Gov
ernor Seymour thinks, are greatly to be de-
plored. II all our manufacturers should pay
fi,n5,. ha % ro
willing to work for, the changed condition,
instead Of enriching the manufacturers,
would bankrupt them one and all. Nine
tenths of the purchasing power OF the coun-
try would be gone, and the remaining tenth
would be quite insufficient to support any
branch Of business. It is common fallacy that
prosperity makes high wages. 1t is the high
wages that make prosperity. The wants of
men increase with their power to crafty their
wants. What were luKuries once are neces-
sites now, simply because the ability to OBJ
tain them has been extended to millions
instead of thousands. The superior ciyillza-
ton of this country, rs compared with
Europe, is due to the fact that wealth has
been more evenly distributed here than there,
through the payment Of better wages. The
English labcrer in the mines or agricultural
districts, Is the least fortunate of men. Even
IN the best OF times he never enjoys the COM
parative comfort of an American poorhouse,
paupers sleep IN decent beds. England is
paying now the penalty Of this uneven dis
tr6utiOn of wealth. Between her definition
If hard times and ours, the distinction is very
broad. Hard times IN England means actual
starvation and savage fight for bare sub |
sistence. Hard times here means cutting off
luxuries. But this also is deplorable, not |
merely or mainly on account of the individ- |
ual man VINO IS forced to practice self denial, |
but because OF Its retarding influence on our |
civilization. Low wages restrict the purchas- !
ing power of the people, and out of that re-
strction grows the Generalization of trade, |
financial reyerses and many other evils. The |
importation OF the Chinese will make low |
wages permanent instead OF temporary. Be- |
tween the civilization of Europe and that of |
Asia there Is an impossible barrier, higher
and broader than the Chinese wall. One or
the other must conquer, for both cannot ex-
st side by side. II our people are to compete
with the Chinese they must adopt their Gus
toms. They must give up their churches and
schools, abandon their families, and enter on
IN existence which IS utterly revolving to MS
They can live there on twenty-five cents a
lay. Is this what the philauthropists and |
Ienuimentailsts who advocate Chinese immi-
grafton are striying after? The Chinese re-
lst our influence quite as persisteutly, to say
he least. as we resist theirs. The Cb1nese
,desti0n of San Francisco is not kuropean or
.hen to our Institutions. Their religion.
neir allegiance, their graveyards, their ira
Iitions, their ambitions, are all on the other
ide Of the world. Their presence here even
Il small numbers is dangerous But if the
rates were open wide they would come In a |
ood. China is over-populous. 1t contains
our hundred million inhabitants. One quar-
er of them could be spared with positive adj
antage to those who remained behind. Bnt |
neIr coming would ruin this country and re-
uce 1t to the level OF Asia. Questions are
tut there is no law known to nations which
lands in the way of the law of self. preserya-
on. We have never promised to open our /
oors to everybody who chose to come. We :
fuse admittanca to criminals, and Criminals !
re those who violate written statute. If I
e may exclude them, may we not also ex-
ude those who offend against the large un- f
ritten law on which our social and POLITICAL G
stitutlons are basedP Africa was forbidden