Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-05-13
THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHINESE.

unphlosophlcal position tnab INC Reneioi
employment Of the Chinese by the people
OF the Pacific coast demonstrates the insin.
certify of their attitude, and that 1.-THE
people of the Pacific coast have the mat
"ter entirely in their own hands" This
kind of foolish chatter, however, is on
par with the attempts of some California
journals to make it appear that those who
employ Chinese are in some way peculiarly
depraved, and amenable to popular censure.
And it seems necessary that in the interests
Of truth and justice a firm stand should be
taken against the cant, hypocrisy, malice
and stupidity which inform the arguments
referred to. In the first place we assert
that no man or corporation can be censured
for employing Chinese when they are avail
able, and whoever does SO censure them is
hypocrite or fool. The human race in
stinctively prefer to buy in the cheapest
market. To do so is not sign of depravity.
1t is sign of what we call common sense.
1t is in fact the only way by which men can
hope to prosper. If it were habit or in.
stinct to buy in the dearest market, human
progress would long since have been ar
rested. Civilization, and all that it i'm
plies, depends upon the natural tendency
of men to buy in the cheapest market.
Now whoever expects that men will do
violence to their nearest interests, and
forego the advantages which are within
their reach, in order to benefit that vague
and intangible entity called. "the COM
munity," almost deserves to be suspected
of mental alteration. 1t is in fact an ut
terly ridiculous proposition, and that it
should be advanced solemnly as perfectly
rational one shows how very little sound
thinking goes to the formation of the views
which are accepted by the majority.
The truth is that SO long as the Chi.
nese are among us they will be employed,
because it is the direct interest of those
who want work done to employ them. If
We understood the logic of our own posi-
ton in California we should see that this
fact really constitutes one Of the strongest
arguments for the stoppage of Chinese i'm
migration. While the Chinese are here
they will be employed, and it is idle or dis.
honest to pretend that those who employ
them are criminal for so doing. All the
world proceeds on the principle of getting
what it wants as cheaply as possible. Are
Californians constituted differently from
the rest of the world! Are they expected
to prefer to pay two dollars for thing
when they can buy it for one dollar, Do
any of the humbugs who take this line fol.
low that doctrine themselves? Here, for
instance, is the San Francisco Chronicle, at
present edited by that well known philan-
thropist A. A. Cohen, believing against
the Pacific Railroads for employing Chinese
labor. Has Mr.. Cohen never employed
Chinese labor, we wonder, Does the
Chronicle not proceed systematically on
the principle we have declared to be the
one common to humanity! Does it not
even go far beyond the generality of en-
ployers in cutting down the wages of its
staff and its printers, Is it not notorious
all over the coast for being the meanest and
most niggardly Office in the United States :?
Would it not, if it dared, employ Chinese
labor at the case? Does it not even now
pay Chinese rates to white men?
The Pacific railroads have perfect right
to employ Chinese labor, as have all other
people. It is not crime to do 80, but a
most natural and prudent thing. These
railroads, however, employ all the skilled
white labor they can get, and only use the
Chinese for the hardest kind of drudgery
such as white Americans no longer care to
undertake. But they are not called upon
to defend themselves in this connection.
They are entitled to 60 into the labor
market precisely as all the rest of the
world does, and take the cheapest they
can find. We all do the same thing. The
Chronicle does it even while vilifying its
neighbors for acting on its own ruling
principle. The workingmen do it. The
people who are trying to get up boycotting
organizations do it. And therefore we
have right to say that those who seek to
make the employment of Chinese by any
one cause OF offense are either hypocrites
or FOOLS The laws Of political economy
are such that cheap labor will always COM
mand the market while it is procurable.
That is why we are justified in demanding
the exclusion Of the Chinese. In q nomi.
nally free country, where no man has the
least right to abuse his neighbor or to
threaten him for employing whatever labor
element he chooses, it is impossible to pre-.
vent the Chinese from interfering with
white labor so long as they are suffered to
come here. 1t is also impossible because
the labor market is governed by natural
laws, and not by newspaper or political
demagogery.
The Chinese cannot be disposed of as
the Nation pretends to think, either. The
people of the Pacific Coast have not the
matter entirely in their own hands" In
a case of this kind it is inevitable that the
available cheap labor should be utilized
OF course it is this very law of nature which
makes the Chinese 80 formidable, but we
who have had full experience of the matter
have right to demand their expulsion
even while we admit that we cannot refrain
from employing them. And if we want to
present logical appearance to the rest Of
the world we had better once for all aban-
don the absurd and despicable attempt to
make capital against one another by pre-
tending that there is something wicked
and malignant in employing Chinese. 1t
is far more honest, manly and sensible to