Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1880-06-16
THE DEMOCRACY AND THE CHINESE
OF NEW YORK.

On the Pacific Coast the Chinese question
takes precedence above all others. 1t is hard
to pick up California paper that does not
claim that the Democracy is the only thing that
can deliver us from the coolie pest. We have
not far to look back to find that the annoyan-
ces which we are now striving to rid ourselves
of, came to us as direct legacy of Democratic
rule and influence. In January 1862 there
was introduced into the Democratic Legisla-
ture of California, by A. R. c. Peachy, lead
ing Democrat of San Francisco, bill known
as the Peachy bill, an Act to enforce the OBJ
servance of contracts made without the State,
for the performance of labor within the State
and limits thereof. (See page 277 of Assem-
bly, Journal 1922 The proposed law provid-
ed in substance that contracts made in China
for Chinese labor for period of five years,
under which the Chinese might be brought to
the State and the contract enforced that such
contract might be assigned to second and
third parties, and further, that any Cinnamon
so brought, refusing to perform the contract,
could be imprisoned and made to serve upon
the public works of the State. The bill was
referred to Committee, who on the 9th of
March made the following report:
ME-. SPEAKER: The undersigned, Special
Cmmittee to whom was referred can Act to
enforce the observance of contracts without
the State, for the performance of labor within
ho hay haH he nOHar
consideration and conceive that the ends to be
attained by the provisions of the DILL are emf
nently entitled to the favorable consideration
of the Legislature, as its tendency will be the
relief and convenience of the people, as it Sc
cures labor now demanded by their wants
Your Comaittee recommend the prompt action
of the Honse OH the passage of the bill with
the amendments reported. Your Committee
in making the provisions general in their ap
plcation, do not deem it necessary to adduce
any arguments than such as will at once fofcl
bly, address themselves to the consideration Of
the House. All of which is respectfully sub
mitted, r. N. WOOD, Chairman.
The proposed law was taken up on Tuesday,
March 10th, for discussion and occupied the
House for two days. An amendment was Of
fered limiting the contract to three years in
stead of FIVE, and was voted down. Another
amendment requiring the importer OF coolies
to give bonds that the foreigners SO employed
should not become charge upon the State
for one year after the expiration of the con-
tract, was also voted down. Another was Of
fered to the effect that the consent of the la
II was voted down, and the bill as originally
framed was finally passed by the House.
Ga the sixth of March similar bill was in.
troduced in the Senate by Phil A. Roach,
present editor of the Examiner, which was
referred to Committee consisting of Senators
Lngly, Anderson, Walsh, Foster and Roach,
all Democrats. On the 10Th of March the
Committee reported the bill back and recon-
mended its passage Four days later P A.
Roach, then representing the counties Of
Santa Cruz and Monterey, made minority
report, which MAY be found on pages 669 to
675 Of the Appendix to the Senate Journal
for 1852, and in which, while opposed to the
bill he used the following language:
There is ample field for its employment |
(that is coolie labor) in draining the swamp
lands, In cu.tivatng rice, raising silk or plant
ing tea. Oar State is supposed to have great |
natural advantages for these objects, but if |
these present not field enough for their labor |
thea sugar, cotton and tobacco as well as min. |
ing invite their attention. For these special |
objects have no objections to the introduce |
tionof contract laborers, for these staple in |
dustries cannot be cultivated without cheap |
labor daughter and applause.)
The Senate Journal only shows that the con-
tract Labor bill was brought up and by almost
unanimous vote was indefinitely postponed.
This was done because, pending its passage,
Miners meetings" were held throughout
the State protesting against its enactment and
because D @. Broderick, Senator from San
Francisco, went to Governor Bigler and per-
suaded him by force of argument, to send to
the Legislature his anti-coslie message, which
in substance was that he would veto any such
bill a. the one andsr consideration, 80 that the
Democracy were baked of their pet scheme
by the efforts of the working mans friend who
was afterwards hunted down and murdered
by the Democratic mnions because he op-
posed their infamous plots. What sort of
fruit can b. expected from tree. whose roots
reach down to such soil a. thisl
The Tribune still hestates about hosting
the names of Garfield and Arthur, determining