Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-02-28

still further increase for next year, il is
poor encouragement, but there is no help fol
1t now. and it will be the sOuadea policy to
pay something. Such policy will be best
for the property and business of the town and
its future prospects, and even though the
amount paid be small, it will nevertheless be
a movement in the right direction and show
disposition that will give confidence to and
thereby increase business.
The Chinese Question.
REPLY OF Mr. BLAINE TO Mr.. GARRISON.
The following letter from Senator Blaine
appears in the Tribune of Monday morning.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 81, 1879.
To tic Editor Of The Nao York Tribune
The reflections of Mr. William Lloyd Gar
rison upon the Senators who voted for the
bill restricting Chinese immigration arc
made, think, without the thorough exam
\ nation which he usually brings to the dis
cussion of public questions. Permit me,
with plainness of speech, and yet with the
sincere respect entertain for Mr.. Garrison,
| to state the grounds on which cast my vote
for the measure.
First There has MT been from the out
set any immigration Of Chinese in the sense
in which immigration comes to US from
Europe. 1t has all been under contract"
and through agencies, and if not in every
respect OF the Cody type, the entire immi-
grafton from China has had the worst and
most demoralized features of Coolyism. The
Barlingame treaty specially "reprobated any
other than an entirely coiuntary immigration,
and yet from the first ChInamaa that came,
in 1913, to the last one that landed at San
Francisco, it is safe to say that not one in
one hundred came in an entirely voluntary"
manner. Up to October 1876, the rec
oris Of the San Francisco custom-house show
that 233, l36 Chinese had arrived in this
country and that ,273 had returned to
China. The immigration since has been
quite large, and allowing for returns and
deaths, the best statistics | can procure
show about lOy 900 Chinese are in California
and from 10000 to $4,000 in the adjacent
Pacific States and Territories.
Mr.. Blaine proceeds to set forth the de-
mcralization and lewdness Of the Chinese
men and women, at length. lie al-o cOnsid
or, the anticipated loss of trade with China
a utter of small account. The letter closes
as follows
In regard to the process Of converting and
Christianizing this people, missionary who
has been in the field since 1919, testities that
not one in thousand have even nominally
prOiesscd change from heathenism, and |
that Of this small number nearly one-half |
had been taught in missionary schools in |
ChiEa. The same missionary says "as they |
come in still larger numbers they will more |
efiec;ually support each other in their ma
tional pecullarities and vices. become still |
more confirmed in heather immoralitios.
with an influence in every respect incalcula-
bly, bad" Under what possible sense of
duty any American can feel that he promotes
Christianity by the process of handing Cali
fornia over to heathenism, is more than
am able to discover.
Tenth. This Chinese question connects
itsrlt intimately and insepara5ly with the
labor question. Their immigration is en-
by some openly, by many secretly,
because their labor is cheap. The expert
mcnt is most dangerous one. In repub-
lie where the man who works carries
ballot in his hands, it will not do for cap
italzed wealth to lsgisla.e for cheap labor.
We do not want cheap labor; We do not
want dear labor We want labor at fair
rates at rates that shall give the laborer
his fair share, and capital its fair share. If
more is sought by capital, less will in the
md be realized. There is not laboring-
nan from the PenObscot to the Sacramento
would not feel aggrieved, outraged,
crushed. by being forced into
competition with tho labor and the
wages Il the Chinese Cody. For
me | will never consent by my vote
IT my voice to drive the intelli-
,ent wurkingmen Of America to that cOmpc
ition and that degradation. Mr.. Garrison
pent the best years Of an honorable life in
courageous battle for the freedom and digni-
v Of labor, and for Its emancipation from
hTalldom trust he will not lessen the
gratitude which the wOrkingmen of
America owe him for his noble lead in ,
he past by an effort now to cJnsign them
o the humiliation and the poverty inevitably
esultng from the competition Of Chinese
OOlics.
Years ago Mr.. Carlyle said to an Ameri-
AN friend, You will have no trouble in
our country so long as you have few poo
C and much land, but when you have
much people and little land, your trials .
will begin" No one connected in any
manner with the Government Of the Rep
lblic can view the situation without grave
oucern. At least nine large States OF the
,ou,h are disturbed by race trouble, OF
hich 10 man is yet wise enough to see
he end : the central and largest and ,
of our Territories is seized by a
olygamous population which faunts def =
nee III the face Of the General Government
iscontent among unemployed thousands has .
lrcady manifested spirit of violence, and 2
ut recently arrested travel between the !,
tlautic and the Mississippi by armed mobs u :.
hich dehed three States ind commanded -
reat trunk lines Of railway to cease opera
ons Practical craftsmanship would suggest !.
Iat the Government Oi the United States has y
: hand. full and that nothing but sheer "
cklessneas will force upon the American pop q
alton OF the Pacific slope the odiOus con-
minatiOn vi the lowest giade Of the Chinese 1,
&c. 1t may be attempted but, in my A.
dgmcnt, it will lead u Gireiul results, IN -
hich violence and murders and massacres =
III be terribly frequent. Let it be proclaim -
Lcre aud now that the General Govern
,nt viii support and maintain unrestricted 7,
migration Of Chinese coolies. and in less
al five years d larger military force than
e existing Army OF the United States will
required to keep peace on the Pacific :,
pc. it.
| feel and know that | am pleading the IN
Use Of tho free American laborer and Of his so
lldren and Of his children's children. 1t co
been well said that it i. the cause OF - the 10
use against the hoycl; Of the comforts Of II
freeman against the squalor of the slave" ID
has been charged that my position would ID
align labor saving machinery and condemn m
This answer is not only superficial; it is 40 40
0 absurd. Labor saving machinery has VI VI
ltiplicd the power to pay. has developed m
" wants, and has continually advanced the on
a of labor and constantly enlarged tho fa,
ger Of the laborer. But seville toll has in,
;ays dragged flee labor to ITS lowest level ri,
has striped 1t VI one imminent after wa
,ther until it was help!tss and hopeless. trt
leneyer that condition comes to the tree ca
1rer Of America. the Republic of equal pu
hts il CONS. aDd We shall live under the sta
rst of oligarchic. that Of mere wealth, see
use profit only measures tho wretchedness p ~,
he unpaid toilsmen that produce it, VI
Very respectfully, an
~ ID,