The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1880-02-27

1t IS stated tnaJ the virginia anu
Truckee Railroad Company contemplate
building branch road from the Mound
House, in Lyon county, to Bodie, CALI
tornia. next Sammer The fact that a
corps Of civil engineers is now engaged
ia making a preliminary survey of the
route, indicates that the statement is
well founded. 1t is asserted that the
Company intend to employ Chinese on
The proposed road, and that one thou
ssnd, more or less, of them will be ian
ported to grade the road bed. Two
papers in Western Nevada, which do
not wear the V. 4 I. r. r, collar the
Virginia Chronicle and Carson Appeal
are opposed to the employing of Chi
uese on the road, particularly as there
are hundreds of white men in the State
cut Of employment, and are waging a
war against the managers of the read
and the Chinese. The Eureka Sentinel
hss also taken part in the engagement,
and quotes, in support of its position
against the importation Of Chinese, two
Acts passed by the Legislature Of Ne
vada in 1874 One of these, San Act
10 prevent slavery, or involuntary SER
vitude, unless for. the punishment of
crime, and to enforce the provisions OF
section II of article /. of the Constitu-
ton of Nevada" recites that Chinese
who come to this coast arrive here un-
der contract to labor for term of
years, and are bound by such contracts
by superstitions, and by leaving their
blood relations as hostages ia China
for the fultillment Of their part of it;
that such slave labor anil involuntary
servitude is opposed to the genius of
our institutions. as well as to humanity
and christianity and degrades the dig
nifty Of labor, and prohibits the immi-
grafton OF such people to Nevada. The
Act makes it unlawful to collect the
wages of such persons, and prohibits
corporations, companies and individuals
to pay them, under a penalty of not
less than three hundred dollars, or by
imprisonment in the county Jail for not
less than three months. The Sentinel
claims that any Chifiaman imported
from California comes within the inhi-
billions of that Act, as they are fun
nished by one of the Six Companies,
under contract.
The Sentinel also quotes another
statute Of 1879 entitled Fan Act to pro-
hibit the. employment of Chinese and
AIongolians in certain cases. !" This
act prohibits the employment, Of Chi
nese in any capacity on any public
works, or in or about any haildings,
institutions or grounds under the, com
troll of this act, and provides that no
right of way or charter or other privi-
leges for the construction of any public
works by any railroad or other corpo-
ration or association shall be granted,
except upon the express condition that
10 Monaghan or Chinese shall be en-
ployed on or about the construction OF
such work in any capacity.
1t is asserted that the builders of she
proposed road to Bodie will ask no spec
i'll franchise Of the Legislature, and con-
sequently viii not be bound by the re-
strictions of the act to. prohibit the en-
ployment of Chinese, but admitting
such to be the fact, they cannot well
avoid the penalties of the act to prevent
slavery or involuntary servitude in the
State. The Carson Appeal suspects
that tho threat to employ Chinese to
build the road is merely play in the
interest Of Sharon, who as candidate
for reelection will at the proper time
interpose in behalf OF white labor, and
declare that no Chinese shall be en-
ployed on road in which ne is inter-
ested. This, iaterposition by our-Sena-
tor from California, it is expected, will
50 endear him to the white laborers il
the State that they will shout for Sha-
ron until they are hoarse, and vote. fen
no candidate who is not pledged to vote
f,r his re 81 aetion To the Sonata