Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-03-31
OUR TRADE WITH CHINA.

examination of the facts does
not justify this view. In the first place
there is no necessary connection between
Chinese trade and Chinese immigration.
The market for Chinese tea and silk, which
are the principal exports of the Celestial
Empire, is not dependent upon the admis-
sion of Chinese coolies to America. The
Chinese merchants proceed upon mercan-
tile principles. They are as little subject
to sentimental influences as any people In
the world. They will sell their products
to the best advantage, and they do not
care who the purchasers are, SO long as
their solvency is assured. The idea that
the Chinese Government may retaliate
upon the United State for the passage of
the pending bill by putting an embargo
upon trade with US, is mere fancy. The
presumption is that no step will be taken
to alter the existing situation. But it is
fact that China has no desire to extend
her commerce abroad, and that the Chi
nese policy has hitherto been SO stubborn
in this regard that even if we were to lose
the entire trade of that country we could
not be much injured. The Herald gives
what purport to be the imports and
exports to and from China last year. 1t
says During the past year our total
imports from China and Hongkong
amounted to S26, DOC, 900, of which more
than $40, 900, 900 was entered at San
:" Francisco. Our exports reached S.. OO0,-
1000, of which S6,00O,OO0 or more than
" three-fourths, went from San Francisco.
These figures are not correct. There is no
reason for including Hongkong. British
colony, in the showing at all, but if it is
included it will be as well to give the cor
rect statistics. Including Hong kong the
imports last year amounted to S25, 900, 900,
and the exports to nearly $4,000, 900.
The imports and exports from China, how.
ever, were respectively no more than S22,-
35S, 90S, and SIS, 400, 900. Of these imports,
consisting principally of tea and silk, nine
teen-twentieths merely passed through San
Francisco en- route to the Atlantic sea.
board. Again, two.thirds of the exports
to China consist of cotton goods, none of
which is manufactured on this coast.
OF course it is well worth while to re-
tain this trade if it can be retained with
out paying too high a price for it, and it
is well worth while also to develop Chi.
ne.e commerce more fully. But when we
are told, as the Herald declares, that
"both as producer and consumer China
els boundless field for American enter
"prise," we must demur to the statement.
It is by no means a new one. 1t has been
made very frequently at intervals for
number of years. But all these years Cali.
fornia and the rest of the world have been
knocking at the door of China, and trying
to effect foothold there, and it must be
admitted that up to the present time the
prospect of success in that direction has
not appeared very brilliant. China as a
field for American enterprise has, in fact,
already worn out good many enthusiast
tic adventures. The statistics which can
be made to show SO easily that on the
basis of an estimated population of 40O,-
900, 900, the Chinese ought to be our best
customers for every kind of merchandise,
have somehow deceived everybody. The
figures of population may perhaps not be
greatly exaggerated, but this is of little
moment. What upsets all calculations is
that the Chinese do not display any desire
to bay our goods, or to sell US theirs to
any considerable extent. In all these
years DO more than fourteen Chinese ports
have been opened to the commerce of the
world, and there has always been power.
full party there in favor of closing even
them. The foreign trade of the country,
900 of exports, and $4,000, 900 of i'm
ports, and one-third of all its commerce is
with Great Britain. This commerce has
not increased at all rapidly. It has been
long time obtaining it's present dimen-
sions. And, judging from the past, it will
be a long time before it reaches really con.
siderable proportions.
The Chinese have not, while availing
themselves of some Western science and
invention, manifested any purpose to
throw down the barriers with which they
have excluded the rest OF the world for SO
many centuries. They have in fact made
it clear that they refuse to fall into line
with nineteenth century civilization !;
that they do not believe in the railroad
and the telegraph that they reject modern
political economy that they are deter
mined not to sacrifice any of what they
consider present benefits for the chances of
adding to their material wealth. With the
wisdom of their policy we have here nothing
to do, but it is evident that a nation which
repudiates all the standards OF commercial
countries cannot be induced to agree to any
extension of trade with them by holding
out to it the ordinary temptations. China
does not want to grow rich ; does not want
tocreate class of millionaire manufacturers
and projectors and merchants does not
above all want to save labor in any par
ticular is more concerned to keep her re-
dundant population hard at work than to
find methods of relieving them of their
toll and giving them leisure to think
dangerous thoughts We do not there.
fore approach China on equal terms. Oar
standards are different and incompatible.
Our aims are equally different. We
neither believe in nor seek the same
things. And those who imagine that the
Chinese policy is lightly changed had bet.
ter study the past history of that remark.
able country.
What it is now it has been. with few
external changes, for thousand years
and the machinery of society and govern.
ment ia so constituted as almost to com.
pei constant renewal of the venerable
doctrines which are handed down from
generation to generation. The expecta.
L..