The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-04-18
The Chinese Question.
An Open Letter from General B. F. But
Ter to John Russell Young-A Full
Discussion Of the Problem OF
Chinese Emil grafton.

Genefal Is. 4. Butler has written an open let
ter to John Russell Young,th new minister to
China, in which he discusses with great thor
oughness the problem OF Chinese immigration
and the congressional bill recently vetoed by
the President. The document was printed en-
tire in the Boston Sunday Globe. Its princi-
pal features are here reproduced.
The general begun study of this question
many years ago, and in 1870 made speech in
which he made known his opinions upon the
dangerous effect upon the country of Chinese
immigration, invited and sanctioned by the
Burlingame treaty, Those opinions are still
held by the general. He then claimed that
this country was land where the oppressed of
all nations, who should come here of their own
will, might find home. He says: st never
has occurred to me that this country was un-
der any obligation-eit logically from the
character of its political institutions, or from
any considerations Of public or international
law-to receive upon its soil any one person
whom it did not expressly or implicitly invite
70 come sneEe..a In the absence -of the
solemn obligations Of treaty there can be 70
doubt of the right of this country to exclude
any man from its shores or participation in
its government, or being allowed to live under
its protection if once here and not naturalized
if distasteful to the community organized into
a government in which he is.
"No men ever insisted more strongly upon
these doctrines than did our prilgrim fathers
and the colonists of Massachusetts bay. They
expelled Roger Williame, although bono of
their BONE simply because his religion re-
quired little more water for its ceremonies
put them on the back seats in their churches,
which they required them to attend, and whip
ped and banished the harmless but provoking
Quakers."
Two years ago. from personal examination
upon the Pacific coast, Gen. Butler found that
Cinnamon were found among the very best
laboring men on the coast in all branches of
industry, whether manufacturing, mining,
domestic or agricultural; that to remarkable
degree, as whole, they were honest, and in
their vocations exceedingly intelligent. That
they were temperate and as rule peaceful,
and that they were not undertaking labor SO
soon as they found what their labor was worth.
For example, Chinese domestics, to the good
qualities of which all bore testimony, could
not be obtained for less than So a month, ex-
elusive of their living. BE also found that
they we're very thrifty, economical in their
habits and cleanly in their persons as a rule,
and because of these traits were rapidly abb
sorbing the employments in all laboriDg and
mechanical work. Therefore he remarks
"Paradoxical as at first blush it may seem,
to nv mind the solution of this question is
this: These very good qualities of the Chinese,
which enable them to make large productions,
and the economy and thrift which permit
them to lay up great sums as earnings render
their presence here most injurious to the
county,"
There are over 100, 900 Chinese on the Pac-
fc coast. earning on an average $1.50 per day
over the very small SUM which their economy
and thrift require for their support. There
fore, there is being taken avery day $4,000
from the quick capital of the Pacific coast,
which is not even loaned there for investment.
Now, allowing 300 working days to the year
and the Chinese by no means observe our
holidays and Sabbath-the sum of $45 200. 900
a year would thus be taken away from the
Pacific coast annually.
If this very large drain Of capital from this
country was spread over the whole 50,000,0 900
of our people, and the loss was to be borne by
all of US, it is quite possible; nay, probable,
that it would not too seriously cripple our en-
terprises or cripple our resources. But the
taken away from community, consisting OF
some !, 100000, more or less, and that an in
FAINT community quite isolated even as yet,
where quick capital would bear an interest of
from to u per cent. at the lowest rates.
SIS there any parallel TO this state of things
guide us2' he asks Not exactly. but very
nearly, in the results which have come from
Irish absenteeism. Ireland shortly before the
beginning of this century was prosperous
country, with her people and their industries
IN thrifty w. co ono s;h she .oen nad p9pua
grafton to 100000 within a half century,
those left being brought to state of starva-
ton. 1t became fashionable for the landown-
ers of Ireland, her lords and grandees, to
spend all the rents and incomes derived from
their estates abroad, either in England or on
litical economy who deal with the question
agree that this spending of the profits of the
industry of Ireland abroad, or Irish absentee
ism, as it Is named, was the causing cause OF
this depletion of Ireland and the destruction of
its industries, enterprises and resources. The
amount so spent away from Ireland would be,
on an average, scarcely greater than Sl2, 500
000 or at the beginning at the rate OF about
ST. 80 to each inhabitant yearly; and we have
seen the approximate effect of the constant
drain of this comparatively small sum upon
Ireland.
Now the Chinese immigration into Califor-
mia has substantially caused the turning of this
question of absenteeism directly around. In
ireland capitalists spend the profits they de-
rive from labor abroad. In conclusion, Cen
Butler remarks that we have had substantially
no immigration from China. All the immigra-
ton we have had has been from the British
provinces of Hong Kong and Macao, in British
vessels under the else of a British consul. he
suggests therefore little diplomatic pressure
upon the British government, rather than the
of treaty with the Emperor OF
China, and that Mr.. Young, If diplomatic
usages will permit it, stop at the Court OF vt:
government on the Chinese emigration ques-
ton before he goes to China. Great Britain
can stop it much more efficiently than China,
as view the matter, if she eau be made TO do
so. Not that desire by any means, that you
should be compelled to supersede Mr. Lo~ell,
but to aid him, as he seems to have Ais hands
full In not having the Irish-American citizens
lot out by England without undertaking to
\ a Ghfnasa kant In. ~