The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-03-10
"CuINEsE CHEAP LABOR"

Our dispatches inform us that the legisla-
ton or action on the anti-Chinese bill is
gradually approaching definite result
and it looks as if the celestial had to go al
last. We took the ground few weeks
since that such legislation was radically
wrong and not only in violation OF the
spirit of our American institutions, but
undemocratic throughout and calculated to
set precedent that would not only place
us in bad repute before the rest OF the world
but proove direct injury to us right III our
own borders. And we wish now to relterate
this fact. We can conceive of no iegisla-
ton by congress that is more III OPP
perfume, or more thoroughly conceived
and carried out in pure prejudice and with
no reference to justice or law than this pro
posed Chinese bill. With exactly the same
reason we can exclude Germans, Irish or
Scandinayans. We can say to the world
in word that this country is for Ameri-
cans exclusively, and if foreigner wants
to locate in our midst, no matter how poor
he may be, or how near starving, he cannot
obtain loothod or any of the rights
of citizenship, until he has de-
terlnined not to work for u cent less per
day than the American laborer. We SYM
pathisc with American labor. We know as
well as any one that its struggles with the
giant, capital, are often terrible and that
only by eternal vigilance" can it properly
guard its own interests. And yet we can
not approve of its efforts to protect itself by
fighting itself, If the conflict is to be made
let it.bc made with capital and not with
labor itself. Nothing was ever gained by
division in the household. Disaster al
ways follows family troubles In
these columns we have tried uniformly to
uphold the principles of free trade. freedom
of action, of thought, of speech, of every
thing, and we cannot, therefore, without
protest observe this growing disposition to
exclude nation from the benefits of our
system for no other reason than that its
citizens are willing to work cheap and thus
set the precedent that when so pleased
we will object to the immigration of
any people who may be at all
dstasteiul to any body of our
citizens This anti-Chinese bill is but an
other species of the effort to fasten on us
the Infamous tariff measures. We want to
buy in whatever market we see proper and
it is preposterous to say that in these
United States the same freedom of labor
shall not exist that is but a natural coral
larry of the freedom of trade. A few people
in California find themselves reduced TO
the necessity of laboring cheaply by reason
of Chinese competition and the mat
ter is therefore ut once turned into
a political one and congress and the
whole country have to take hold of the
affair, and We are sorry to say that but few
men are to be found who are brave enough
to assume and advocate the exalted grounds
of freedom for every one in America, and
competition in labor We have
no right to protect the manufacturer at the
positive robbery of the producer or the
owner of the raw material, and we have
no right to protect the laborer at
the expense of another laborer.
If one of our southern negroes
sees fit to work for 50 per month is that any
valid reason for running the race out of the
country because the white laborer insists on
getting so or $50 per month? And this is
exactly the case with the Chinese. We
lose all patience in contemplating the little
despicablc narrow-mindedness and prcju-
dice indicated by those who should know
better in this matter. A man who hasn't
manhood enough about him to withstand
the contemplate appeals to policy and
prejudice when opposed to right and law
and the constitution, is no man at all, aud
should not be honored with the condolences
of any respectable portion of people. As
little as we may have in common with
SENATOR HoNR, of Massachusetts, or us
widely as we may have differed with him in
the past, we cannot applaud too highly his
late manly uttcrauces on this subject in the
United States senate. What SENATOR lloAR
said was but the true policy and the true
rcpublicanism of America, aside from party
or national or sectional considerations,
and we honor him for it, We only hope
that in the further investigation of the
question, before 1t shall come to a vote,
others will be found equally brave and fair.
minded to discuss the matter from u broad
humanitarian standpoint. And we trust,
indeed that an American congress will not
lasten the stigma upon us of intolerance for
any nationality, or fear OF meeting
any people in honorable competition,
in any OF the walks of life. What
we say is from principle, not from love for
Chinese, or hatred of any one else, but he,
cause in the measure we think we see, no,
only departure from republican princi.
pies, but another feature of the policy that
would, by congressional enactment, protect
one class to the positive dctriment of an.
other--a class legislation that all good citi.
Gems cannot but condemn.
GOOD MAN GONE,