The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-04-06

from the report of the Congressional
committee of 1875, but | will not, in
order to save the time Of the Senate.
| wish, however, to read one statement
Of Mr.. Pixley, who represented the
anti-Chinese side. After summing up
the qualities of the men such as he
has described, he says:
IN G1es @ %sra to eeaSf aa s
worth the saving. ' ~
But it is urged. and this in my
judgment is the greatest argument for
the bill, that the introduction of the
labor of the Chinese reduces the wages
Of the American laborer 1--WE are
ruined by Chinese cheap labor" is
cry not limited to the class to whose
representative the brilliant humorist
of California first ascribed if. I am
not in favor of lowering anywhere the
wages of any American labor, skilled
or unskilled. On the contrary, | be-
lieve the maintenance and the increase
of the purchasing power of the wages
of the American workingman should
be the one principal object of our leg
islation. The share in the product of
agriculture or manufacture which goes
to labor should, and I believe will.
steadily increase. For that. and for
that only, exists onr protective sys-
tenn. The acquisition of wealth, ma
tional or individual, is to be desired
only for that. The statement of the
accomplished Senator from California
on this point meets my heartiest con-
currence. | have no sympathy with
any men, if such there be, who favor
high protection and cheap labor.
But | believe that the Chinese, to
whom the terms Of the California
Senator attribute skill enough to dis
place the American in every field re-
quiring intellectual vigor. will learn
very soon to insist on his full share of
the product Of his work. But wheth-
er that be true or not, the wealth he
creates will make better and not worse
the condition Of every higher class of
labor. There may be trouble or fail
ure in adjusting new relations. But
sooner or later every new class OF in
dustrious and productive laborers ele-
Yates the class it displaces. The dread
Of an injury to our labor from the
Chinese rests on the same fallacy that
opposed the introduction of labor-sav-
ing machinery, and which opposed the
coming Of the Irishman and the Ger
man and the Swede. Within my
memory in New England all the lower
places in factories, all places of domes-
tic service, were filled by the sons and
daughters of American farmers. The
Irishmen came over to take their
places; but the American farmers son
and daughter did not suffer; they were
only elevated to higher plane. In
the increased wealth of the community
their share is much greater. The
Irishman rose from the bog or the
hovel of his native land to the COM
fort of a New England home and
placed his children in New England
school. The Yankee rises from the
loom and the spinning-jenny to be the
teacher, the skilled laborer in the ma
chine shop, the inventor, the mer-
chant, or the opulent landholder and
farmer Of the West.
[ wish also to read in this connec-
tion what Mr. Morton says as his con-
clusion:
That they have injuriously interfered with the
ons injury. may well be donbted. The great fact is
nr nn the is sOss ss Sers has 5
are there both White and Mons NAN and 1T the state
there and Cheaper sbor a' There % Hch
tsligent testimony to the fact that the Chinese by
the
This h5 sa
end Southern i. 'h In
to as to what was the effect of upon
or
thai 'na hee tn Whe
elevated class of labor. AS said before. yon should
white men from an elevated class of work and Ent
would degrade the white labor to that extent
Then again:
end of this State to the other and the miles
Millions of acres Of timber and the fnofhs Waiting
% o mSe labor ap the an
r AND R c that h m The ReTe
al opportunity to white men to go in and entivate
900 Of tule lands have been reclaimed This
rs them large
We're occupied and caiivafed by White men furnish,
n a%h In T6sy se the
performed the work In s%ndstraesing irrEang canals
Ing the mines with water, by which very large ex-
| tent of country was made exceedingly productive.
ba e1Senee aher shSwed "t b rara
Psops
followed the railroads; % that wherever railroad was
raf Sra
nnt ts s sgd s GGa
any cons iderable number of white people in Cali
Sqf @ S n ee wof
work, for all who chose to perform it.
California has population of 7OO,-
900. She can support seventeen mill
ion. Will it be claimed that these
seventeen million will not be better off
by finding there the wealth and the
improvements which Chinese labor
will prepare for their possession; by
finding the railroad built, the swamp
drained, the highway smoothed, the
harbor dredged?
Will it be maintained that if Cali
fornia could have for nothing what
she gets cheaply from Chinese labor,
she would not be better off? If the
swamp lands had been made prairie
lands by nature; if the ravines had
been filled and mountains tunnelled
by nature, so that the road-bed was
ready for the rail; if every man, in
stead Of buying shoes from Massachu-
setts. had pair left gratis at his door,
that the State would not be better off
Is barren land or productive land best
for State? Then surely the laborer
who does these things at least cost
does most for the community. and
siyes the people who occupy the State
opportunity for better profit in other
fields of industry.
But the statements as to the cheap
| mass of Iiuino aud chaapnpSS of wauos