The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1879-01-07
THE CURSE OF CALIFORNIA

California has, in her Chinese population
and the prospective Increase Of that clement
OF population, been called upon to deal
with problem far more pcrplexing than
that presented to the country at large in the
army Of tramping oilers.
Ia the hope Of securing congressional
Intervention the people OF that State have
memorialized congress, setting forth in
terSc and eXplicit shape the eneryatng in
iluencc the presence of the Chinese
population cXerts upon the industries
morals and health Of the people, and urging
with great earnestncss the enactment Of n
law that will arrest the immigration that is
certain to ensue as a consequence O. the terri
bic famine now prevailing in the northern
portion Of China.
The five sp ,citicAtions Of the congressional
memorial to which more than one hundred
thousand Caltornians have affixed their
signatures, read as follows:
/. The country now being stocked with n
vigorous, Intelligent, progressive. and high
iy-clvliI2ed people, there is no need OF i'm.
migration OF Il non-assimiiNting and alien
race.
= That considering the character of the
[ IlnpSI Inmirpantu -, A.
habits and modes Of life and physical pc
cuiarlties, the immigration operates AS n
substitute OF Chinese Tor white men of the
,'""aS'an re"n- a"-l nat an addition 10
our population, the question being: snail
Chinese ultimately occupy the country. or
shall 1t be held Tor the homes Of men Of the
Caucasian race,
j, There Is danger Of IN immense IN
crease of Chinese immigrants il the near
future. The effect Of the famine now pre-.
vulIing in the northern provinces of China
Is certain To cause Il migration Of greater
proportions than ever known in the history
OF the human race. The fear of hunger will
drive the survivors Of this calamity i0rtl. in
prodigous numbers in quest OF food east
ward, because there is no other outlet. and
California offers the most fruitful field for
Aelr sustcnance. The speculation in Chinese
HBor will, if permitted, seize the opportuni
~ to augment their fortunes by the impor-
uiion OF these hunger-driven creatures into
our ports. The invasion is to be dreaded by
lis more than Il hostile invasion of armed
men, for upon the first note Of alarm from
such cause the nation would hasten TO our
rescue and defense.
t. The Chinese bring with them habits
and customs the most Vicious and demoruliZ- /
ing. They are scorniu of our laws and /
Institutions. They establish their own trib-
u!as Tor the redress of wrongs and injuries
among themselves lad pendent OF our courts
and subject the victims of such tribunals
10 secret punishment the most barbarous
and terrible. In our cities they live crowd
ed and hcrded like beasts, generating the
most dangerous diseases. They introduce
the ancient and incumble malady called
leprosy, the germs Of which, when once dis
uiluted, can never be eradicatcd, but tas-
TN themselves upon the people as an etcrn-
al consuming rot. They build no homes.
they are generally destitute OF moral prin-
cipc. They are incapable Of patriotism
and are utterly untitled for American clti-
zensllip. Their existence here in great
numbers is perpetual menace to republi.
can institutions and source Of constant
irritation and dangerous to the public pcac.
D, The system OF labor which result, from
their presence is n system which includes all
or nearly all the vices Of slavery, without
The conservative influence when is Incl
lent to the domestic or paternal relation
between master and slave. 1t dcuradrs
abor to the standard of mere brute energy,
md these includes the labor of tree white
men, who will not and cannot endure the
degradation of competition with scrvic
abor. Chinese labor is therefore substiu-
III for the labor OF free white men, and the
'tute is afflicted with quasi slave system
lndcr which Chinese population supplants
White American citizens and drive them To
thcr fields or to starvation.
The necessary brevity Of this mcmoial for. |
lids the farther enlargement of facts and {
easons for the almost universal hostility
n California to this immigration. We beg
ne earnest attention of the government at
Washington to this subject, iraught with Il
IMMENSE interest to us, and as we belle 70 4
, the whole people of the United States. ,
Whatever the State of California may law.
ally do to abate or mitigate this eyl,it has '
'olvod to DO declaring however, our set I
ed determination to avoid all conflict Il
18th the National authority, and to limit t
lr action to the exercise OF the police :,
over of the State. WeOsk most earnest. .
aud respectfully Of the Congress Of tho .
'hi'eu States such prohibitory legislation /
Will eifeciually prevent the further i'm. Il
'igration Of Chinese coolies or laborets in '
PIN A M - Al. l