The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-04-05

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San Francisco there are 6,0O0 employed as
domestic servants;
They very readily learn to perform all kinds
Of household duty, are devoted to their en-
ployment and soon become exceedingly skill.
full. The testimony proved that they went TO
all parts of the State to serve in that capacity
when other seryantsor help of that kind could
not be obtained from the cities, and that ii
they were bapished il would be very hard, in
fact, as many of the witne esses said, impossible
to supply their places. As laborers upon the
farms and in the gardens and vineyards, near
ly all Of the witnesses speak of them in the
highest terms. Colonel Hollister, one Of the
largest farmers in California, and a man OF
great intelligence, testified that without the
Chinese the wheat and other crops in CSlifOr-
MIA could not be harvested and taken TO mar
ket; that white labor could not BE- obtained
for prices that would enable the farmer 20
carry on his business; thal any considerable
increase in the price OF labor would render
the production of wheat and almost every
other agricultural product unproftable, and
they would have 10 be abandoned,
Mr. Page. Whose testimony is that?
Mr.. Hooker. 1t is the testimony of Col.
Hollister, one of the largest farmers in Cali
fornia.
Mr. Page. Yes; he owns twenty-five or
thirty thousand acres; and he employs that
in California who does.
Mr.. Hooker. The report continues
As laborers upon the public works they we're
entirely reliable, worked more hours than
white pen, were not given to strikes, and nev-
er undertook by combinations to control the
price of labor
That is the testimony of the Morton COM
mittee.
Mr.. Berry. The reason why is because
they are slaves.
Mr.. Hooker. What makes them slaves
Mr.. Berry. They are brought there by
the Six Companies. Their labor is seryie
Mr.. Hooker. Ny friend is mistaken. ]
want to read now what the Six Companies
say. Wewant the facts, and here is what
the Six Companies say:
We solemnly declare that we, the Six Chinese
Companies, are purely benevolent societies.
Mr.. Page That is what the Chinese
themselves say.
Mr.. Hooker. Let me read what they say
We solemnly declare thatwe, the Six Chinese
Companies, are purely benevolent societies.
We never, singly or collectively, as individuals
or companies, brought one of our countrymen
to this Tree country, under or by any contract or
agreement made anywhere, as a servant or la
W
people desiring to come here sold their rela-
tives to obtain the means to come. We have
never vet let, hired, or contracted one of our
people out to labor; neither have we ever ex-
ercised the slightest control or restraint over
our people after they came here, nor claimed,
or demanded, or received one dollar of their
earnings. We have never acted, directly or in
directly as the agent or agents of any one of
our people wha advanced the means for one OF |
our people to come here.
That is signed by the presidents of the
Six Companies.
Mr.. Page. Will not the gentleman now
turn to some of the other testimony and |
read it?
Mr.. Hooker. You can read it yourself
when you have the floor.
Mr.. Page. OF course. You have read
the testimony of the Chinese companies, and
| ask you to read the testimony of hundreds
Of others which is directly the reverse.
Mr.. Hooker. Let the gentleman produce
that testimony in his own speech.
Mr.. Page. 1t is in that very book from
which the gentleman has read.
Mr.. Hooker. Then produce it. l have
read what these people say. They are Chi
nese, you say; they cannot utter the truth;
they cannot be relied upon. If not, then in
Gods name they need something of the
spirit of liberty-lOving American people in
fused into them, and to have the Gospel
preached to them.
l have heard OF some people who were too
good to be embraced in the Christian plan
Of civilization, but l have never heard of
my so low, so ignorant, and so vile as to be
beyond the influence Of that civilization.
Onr great Master. when he hung upon the
cross, turned to the two thieves by his side,
pardoned their sins, washed them white as
wool in his blood, and translated them to
heaven with himself
A Member. Only one of the thieves went
there. Laughter.
Mr.. Hooker. | regret that have not the
,ime to read still more of the testimony
which Mr. Morton gives here, but will re-
fer to one other passage. He says further
hat while there were complaints that the
Chinese by their cheap lab0r-and this is
The argument of my friend from California
,ook the means of obtaining support from
he white people, inquiry failed to show that
here were any considerable number of
white people in California out of employ
nent, except those who we're willfully idle;
hat there was work and remunerative work
or all who chose to perform it.
That Is the testimony given by these en-
ightened American statesmen, without any
personal interest in the question, who went
here and took the testimony of all of every
grade and class in California In this report
$ quoted the testimony of others, Army ,
officers and residents there, and they all
concur in testifying that the Chinese are
,ober, temperate, and exemplary laborers.
Il is true that the Chinaman has the mis-
ortune to have yellow skin and almond
shaped eyes. 1t was the misfortune of the
,olored mon that ha bad hlacl~ slxfr Rt,F
,ven with that misfortune our civilization
reached him, and he is now full-hedged
American citizen, with the ballot in his
land, and with all the powers, duties, and
responsibilities of an intelligent American
freeman. Now do you not think that if we
,ould produce these results on the African
We might try our influence on the China
nan, particularly as they are a people al
ways distinguished for their intelligence
This report is full of testimony TO that
eject.
Yet, just at this time when all civilized
nations are raising their hands in horror at
,he atrocities inflicted upon an ancient race,
when the news is flashed across the cable of
.he ocean and intelligence is brought us
hat the oldest people we know of, the
Jews, are being scourged and abused,
villiied and maltreated by the power of
Russia and every city in your
country has opened its doors, every ham
let and hovel even has welcomed these de-
'cendants of ancient Israel to American
freedom and American liberty--do you not
think it is a bad time to turn against one
third of the human race, and say that they
cannot be embraced either in the plan of
salvation, or within the civilization, refine
ment, and religious culture that belongs
10 the Caucasion race?
The evidence with regard to these people
IS that there are now but los, 600 Of them in
this country, according to the last census
And according to the same census there are
from 81, 100000 to 55,000,000 of the eau
easian race in this country.
Is there any fear that your civilization
will be endangered, that your religion will
be overturned, that your government will
be disturbed by this people? believe not,
sir. It may be said that the bringing Of the
Africans to this country caused great and
bloody war eventually. True, it did but
they came out oft freemen. It is not the
first time in the history of the English
speaking people that we have gone from
words to blows. We are a liberty-loving
people, an aggressive people We have
shown this by the treaties we have compelled
China to make by the earnestness with