The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1879-03-20

and proved their fidelity 10 The land
of their adoption. When the great
war brok out they did not hold back
their sons or themselves from the
fight for the Union. but freely gave
their blood TO save their new-found
flag. The taxation which ensued in
consequence of the war was borne by
them willingly, and when men tempt
ed them to repudiate the government
they had been at issue to maintain
and abused their faith. Ii was by the
foreign vote OF the West and North
wesl that any such dishonesty was
suppressed. We owe much TO our
foreign immigrants. By their manly
endeavors they have laid the nation
under great obligation. They drained
the morasses, dried up rivers, cut
canals, cast mountains, il not into the
sea, at least into valleys, and discm-
boweled the earth by the labor OF
their hands. They have been our in
structors in many departments Of the
mechanical arts. Though now we
are independent, yet we largely owe
the learning OF our trades TO foreign
trainers, aud to foreign masters much
/ OF our scholarship in literature. The
literature Of all ages has come down
+ to US, and the most expert teachers
are found in our institutions. Every
nation has given us something OF her
/ choicest treasures. Our obligations
are manifest and great; and il Is one
OF the standing debts we owe 10 them,
and which should be vigilantly exact
ed, TO see to ii that the eyes or the
blind are opened, and that the chill
dren of the poor and the immigrant
are passed through our schools. and
are educated in the common schools
OF America"
Coming to the Chinese question,
Mr.. Beecher says, in reply 10 Mr.
Blaine's letter, in the New York Tri-
Lune:
~The first point which Mr.. Blaine
suggests is that there has not been
from the outset any immigration OF
Chinese in the sense in which immi-
grafton comes to us from Europe. II
has been under contract, he says
through agency: aud II not In other
respects OF the Coolie type the entire
immigration from China has had the
worst and most demoralizing features
OF Coolieism. He adds, 1t is safe tc
say not one in hundred comes in ar
, entirely voluntary manner. Now
nothing can well be more misleading
than that. will give an answer to Il
| in the words OF one himself China
man. Is it true that nearly ali who
r come to this country do so under coz.
. tract?' He says, 'Y~s; but it is {
voluntary contract. They are paid {
I
they can get at home, and they arr
, glad TO come. They have no none,
I TO pay their passage or live on wheI
{ they get here, so they bind them
selves to work for $40 month, for ;
certain time. till they have paid tht
passage money and the advances
made by those companies who have
i assisted them to get there. There j.
no slavery about it. The Chimes,
government will not allow any China
$ man to be brought here except b.
| comes voluntarily. II they come II
8 any other way it is through Englisl
:, ports and not Chinese. 1 came her
10 be educated; not under contract
r have relatives who came here sim
: ilarly.'
i "Who is this who gives this testi
: mony2 He Is a member OF the Meth
: odist Church. His name is Mea Ji
= Kee. an intelligent man, much sough
u after for counsel by business men en-
gagged in the Chinese trade. He ha
educated himself. 1t Is his purpOs
to go to the Drew Theological Scmin
: AIRY that he may become a preache
u of the Gospel which has made him
Christian man. II TO come out unde
Icontract or money advances mean
being slave, how many hundred
and thousands OF slaves have come t
Il US from over the Atlantic-some G.
) them by my help too! Have ther
o not been immigration companie
II formed throughout the country I
/ bring out Swedes, Norwegians an
Y Germans? Are they not connecte
z with large land companies at th
3; West? is it not matter of legitl
n mate commercial speculation? The
r advance the passage money. the
& also advance land, and If he build
e house upon it, take a mortgage upo
It it, till as fast as he earns money h
y pays back that which bad been aC
70 vanced to him, and finally becomes
l. freeholder of good farm by virtu
1t of the capital they advanced. And
;" this sense 1t is only that the Chimes