The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-06-01
[Harper's Weekly.l
The Chinese Panic.

The Republicans have taken the
responsibility Of prohibiting the VOL
untary immigration of free skilled la
borers into the country, and have been
the first to renounce the claim that
America welcomes every honest conner,
and offers home to the honest victim
of the oppression of kings or Of cruel
laws. Chinese labor has greatly de-
veloped the Pacific coast. 1t is in de-
mand and use to-day, and the fidelity,
efficiency, and integrity of the Chinese
laborer are not denied. Except for
the demand, he would not come.
Henceforth for ten years any one who
comes may be imprisoned for year,
and then expelled from the country.
Those who are already here must be
registered and furnished with pass
ports to authenticate themselves, and
justify their travelling in the country
Chinese travellers who are not laborers
nor residents will be admitted to the
country only by passports, and the
national and State governments are
prohibited from naturaliZing any Chi
nese person. Yet no offense is charg-
ed upon these people, and they are but
a handful-at most, a hundred thou
sand. They are not migratory, and
they come only because of the demand
for their labor The Federal party
sal k under the odium Of the alien and
sedltion laws. But they only provid-
ed for the removal Of suspicious for
eign individuals who might be plot
ting against the government. The
Republican party has gone further in
prohibiting the coming of few hon
est and intelligent and thrifty labor
ers. The idea Of a Chinese invasion
is merely preposterous, and whenever
it should threaten to approach, it
could be easily averted.
Having laid down the principle Of
discrimination against foreign immi-
grafton, those who are responsible for
it ought not to shrink from the Just
consequences. The statistics of crime
and disorder in the country and the
records of corruption in our politics
show that all Of them have been great
ly increased and stimulated by the
Irish immigration. Dangers to the
free-school system have also appeared
from the same source. Threatening
complications with friendly foreign
states are due to the same element
Why not suspend the Irish immigra-
ton for ten years, and imprison the
honest Irishman who comes Of his
own free-will to get higher wages and
to improve his condition? Why not
require all those who are already here
to obtain certificates from the collect
ors of ports, and to produce passports
if they wish to move about the coun-
try? Why not enact that Irishmen
who are not laborers shall be admitted
to the country only with passports,
and that the words Irish laborers"
shall be construed to mean both
skilled and unskilled laborers?
Why not, but that such provisions
would be repugnant to the American
principle and to common sense? Yet
such an exclusion would be very much
more plausible than that Of the Chi
nese. For it may be very we'll asked
whether the doubt of the practicable
ty of popular republican institutions
does not chiefly arise from the vast
immigration of foreigners during the
last sixty years. As originally form
ed, this was rural republic of a prac-
tically homogeneous race and religious
faith. It's warmest friends might
have doubted had they foreseen the
vast extent of immigration and the
prompt political enfranchisement of
every immigrant But our history
has vindicated our principle, and it is
mortifying that the party whose glory
was the declaration of fair play for all
men should have legislated upon
Douglass assertion: Il am for the
white man against the negro, and for
the negro against the alligator" The
confession that a hundred thousand
peaceful Chinese endanger the welfare
of fifty millions of Americans comes
strangely from the Republican party.