The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-03-20
MEAT OF THE CHINESE QUESTION
--sPEECH OF SENATOR BOOTH
OF CALIFORNIA.

A class of laborers whose wants, natu-
raj and artificial, are the least, will, if its
volume be large enough, take the place
of every other in new country where
the field is unoccupied. 1t will at first
be an addition to labor, and as that is
the greater demand, it will seem con-
yenience. 1t is a convenience dearly
bought, for, as the field fills up, it does
not supplement, but supplant; it does
not add too, it takes the place of, and
thus widens and hardens the social dis
tinctions, which, if fixed and unchang-
ing, are inconsistent with the spirit of a
Republic, and incompatible with it's con-
tinued existence. I ask you, Senators,
seriously to inquire what would be the
condition of our country, morally, social
ly and politically, if two.ffths of the
male adult population were Chinese, with
the possibility of an indefinite increase,
until the American laborers should be
reduced to level of AsiatiC necessities ?
That is our condition and prospects in
the Pacific coast States, That will be
yours if Chinese immigration is to be
free and unrestricted. When it shall
come, the discomfort of labor will take
the form of violent anger or suIlen des-
pair. The discomfort of labor is pow
erful faction in our society and politics
to-day. Then it may become an element
of revolution. To-day its suggestions
may appear crude, but It's offspring is
real; and he who is deaf to its cries may
be sensible of its power. Here then, is
the ultimate question: Shall the condi-
ton of American labor be brought to the
Asiatic level, or forced toward iL2 What
is that level, and why is it lower than
the AmeriCan2 The Chinaman who
comes to our shores brings no family.
He has no children to educate, support
and provide for. He gives no hostages
to the future, and assumes none OF the
social obligations which make upso large
and essential part of American life, He
has been trained down to the lowest
means of subsistence. Without the
American nome, the isolation of famil
les and the influence of family ties, our
form of society, government and civil
zation would be impossible. Is it right
to subject the American laborer to this
competitionP How many ages will it re-
quire to reduce his real wants to this ne
Gessity2 To bring American labor to the
AsiatiC level is to ask the American to
abjure home and family, and substitute
at once for his own character that which
the Asiatic inherited through the blood
Of hundred generations. We are Of
ten compelled, from the necessities of
language, to speak of labor as an abstrac.
ton. 1t is not. 1t means blood and
brains. 1t means manhood and woman
hood. 1t means life. Before this gor-
geous capital Of the nation; before all
the trappings and adornments of luxury
and taste; before art, literature and sci
eRce; before government and law, comes
the necessity for bread, and before that
the laborers' toll Do not aatter your
selves, Mr.. President and Senator'S that
you can preserve American society and
destroy the conditions on which it ex-
lists. Do not hatter yourselves that you
can preserve the independence of Amer
ican citizens and destroy the indepen-
denCe of American laborers.