Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-25
PRo-CHINEsE SENTIMENT ARD N.
TIONAL POLITICS.

The New York EVe71ia9 Post, RepublI-
can journal of a very high class, thinks it
necessary to warn Mr.. Blaine and his
friends against the danger Of embarrassing
hiscanvass by exhibiting sympathywlththc
people of California in regard to the Chi
nese question. Another New York journal
had observed "there is already filtering
g into The thoughtful mind the conviction
& that there is something in the Chinese
Question after all" Upon which the
Pos remarks "Just now, when there are
50 signs of reaction even in California
g against the anti Monaghan cruelty and
nonsense, it is peculiarly absurd to pro-
pose that EeaElsyism shall be in elect
50 Incorporated in the Chicago platform ans
&c made question of the canvass Proba-
bly, Mr.. Blaine now regrets making his
"speech against the Chinese. At all
" events it is for the interest of Mr.. Blaine,
% if he is to be the Republican candidate,
that the speech shall be forgotten. Con-
g sidering the origin of the Republican
~ oartv it would be ludicrous inconsis-
q teney for it to espouse race prejudice
80 as one of it's cardinal principles" 1t is
pity that paper like the Eceni"g Post
should put before its readers assertions SO
loose, so inaccurate, SO unphilosophical, and
! so ignorant. To thoughtful mind it might
have occurred that there are in California,
Nevada, Oregon, and the Pacific coast
States and Territories generally, some two
hundred and fifty thousand Republicans
who find it entirely compatible with adhe-
sion to the fundamental principles of the
party to hold opinions adverse to unre-
stricted Chinese immigration, and that
this fact alone demanded very careful in
vestigation ON the part of Eastern Repub-
licans of a question concerning the merits
of which both they and their journals
have hitherto been discreditably ignorant
The hasty assumption of the Post that
Kearneyism stands for the Pacific coast
hostility to Chinese immigration, shows
how utterly incompetent that journal is to
discuss the question intelligently, more
over. The truth is that public opinion
here was formed on the Chinese question
long before KearneY was heard of, and
that he has had nothing to do with
it beyond preiudicing the uniformed
Eastern mind concerning the whole matter.
The idea that the anti Chinese sentiment
is nothing more than race prejudice IS
discouraging proof of the lack of study
given to it by even the most conscientious
Eastern journals No doubt there is race
prejudice among the unintelligent, but
the conviction which informs public
opinion in California has no connection
with any such lttleness, being founded on
a dispassionate and impartial examination
of facts, and being thoroughly fortified by
the most cogent considerations which can
appeal to craftsmanship and patriotism.
If the New York EUeHing Post compre-
hended this question it would perceive that
! opposition to Chinese immigration Is as
| consistent Republican position as the ad-
vocacy OF negro enfranchisement ever was,
and that the notion of inconsistency is a
deusion born of Grass ignorance, and in no
other Way eyplicable