Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-03-21
THE CHINESE DEBATE.
SpePr'S Speeeh-A Few Stubborn Facts
Effects of the Chinese on LabOr-The
Posts" New Scheme-New Bank
-Nicarsuga Claims
Special Dispatch 10 the Register.

Special Dispatch to the Register.
WASHINGTON, March 2O.-The Chinese, or
a. it is generally called here. the pigtail de-
bate, runs on in the HsNSe with about the
same measure OF interest attending 1t as
was evoked by the Senate discuSsiou of the
question involved. The two sides-the hu-
manitarian. theoretical and sentimental,
and the the practical, cold-blooded and fact
withoutfavor view OF the case, are present
ed alternately. The latter was given by
Congressman Spcer, OF Georgia. IN way
that commanded more than usual attention.
Speer is the young man who locked horns
with General Sherman on the question OF
military band playing on Sundays in
Georgia, and subsequentlylwantcd to start
an independent party in the same State
and it might he supposed from these essays
that he had turn for the impractical, but
the speech referred to briStles with hard
facts and practical suggestions.
Some of the figures mentioned in the
,'ebate are worth attention. The numbers
of the Chinese people are estimated all the
way from three hundred and sixty to four
hundred and fifty millions. II every man,
women and child in the world were i'll
procession, every third man, woman and
child would be one oi the Chinese. Last
yearcighteen thousand came into California,
and within the first three months OF tins
wear six thouSond more. There are up
ward of one hundred and forty thousand
Chinese in California now. of which but
1000 women. AS to their effect on white
labor the report OF the joint special commit
tee sent out by San Francisco to investigate
contains the following testimony:
How does their employment affect our
white laborers? We answer, and this Is
the burden of our arraignment
il drives them to starvation; II is compe-
titiOn that they can not undertake. The
white race, owing to centuries OF physical
treatment, is incompetent TO enter upon
the race. The man who labors In our
streets and city and in our country has
BEEN as have his fathers fOrgenerations be-
fore him, fed on meat ssand bread. He de-
mands meat and bread to maintain his
physical strength and his existence. Meat
and bread command more money than
labor will pay for at Chinese rates in
any place in America, and especially
In California. The American
laborer has other matters that he
may not set aside. He has a wife. The
Chinaman is an adult male who has no
wife no family, no child. Sixty
thousand of these people live in six or
seven blocks of this city. II 10000 adult
male laborerS could take their place we
would have 10000 Christian white working
men. According TO the statistics-tive peo-
pie 10 every adult male labOrer-we would
have five times $4,000, which would be 300
600 additional white people to build over
our peninsula, toextend our city, TO extend
our trade and our commerce to all the
ramiicatiOns of our business.
The Post, of this city, which is nothing if
not original, has been trying to work up
scheme to increase its circulation by indu-
cling Democratic Congressman to take large
numbers of its weekly edition at fifty cents
per annum for circulation among their con-
stituents. The difficulty thus far expert
enced is that these constituents are largely
disposed to consider the Post something
else than Democratic paper. They can't
understand how all organ of the Democracy
can support James &. Blaine for the PreSi-
dency at this stage of the game.
Ex-Governor Boreman and Charlie Shat
tuck. who were here few days since. COM
pleted the arrangements for fourth Ma
tional bank at Parkersburg to be called the
Citizens National bank, and to have capi'
tai stock OF 100000. 1t is said here that
the new concern is the outgrowth of a
quarrel in one of the old ones and that
there is hardly enough business for four
institutions; but competition is the life of
trade, and there are people in that vicinity
who will prevent any undue accumulation