National Republican., 1883-03-21
John CIiinannnin.

and sharp difference of opinion, of course the
government has taken both sides. The east
ern philanthropist, with serene composure,
waved aside the western mans complaint that
the gentle savage roasted his babies and shot
his wife with government ammunition. Adj
vocatos of the universal fatherhood Of God
and the universal brotherhood of man"
have been known to say that they
wished there were million Chinese here to
run out the d--d Irish" The Pacific coast
outcry against the Chinese and the New Eng
land sentiment in their favor have both been
duly considered by a patcrnal government.
| York in enduring the Chinese boil on the
arms of their sister states of the Pacific Is o
touching exhibition of Christian resignation,
and the obliviousness in the latter commune
ties of the fact that they are not the United
States, and that therefore they cannot have
the whole control of the question, is n charm.
ing exhibition of complete solf-dcvoton.
The desire to benefit the Chinese by ad-
mitting them here is about as much an Gle
ment in the minds of most Of those who favor
their coming as the moral improvement of
the African was in the slave trade. The
Burlingame treaty was shrewd device to
exchange the tafly of the great western world
for the privilege to construct railroads and
other improvements in China. The plan did
not work Our consent that the Chinese
should come was neither sought nor desired
by the Chinese government 1t worked
greatly to the advantage of the Koopmanchop
brothers of San Francisco and other coolie
importers, and as rum and religion went hand
in hand to the far off isles of the Pacific, so
underpaid Asiatic labor came hand in hand
with philanthropy to better the alien at the
expense of our own people,
Fourteen years of great discomfort among
all who came in contact with this newly stim-
ulated immigration, added to sixteen years Of
previous hostility to it, while it came in less
numbers under former treaties, resulted
finally in htching and reluctant enactment
against il, in accordance with a modified
treaty which Mr.. Hayes's administration
with Mr.. Evartsas secretary of state, was sus-
pectcd of having tried not to obtain. The
steamship companies do not like the stoppago
of this portion of their passenger traffic, and
the railway and other great companies do not
like the consequent bulling of the labor
market.
Our commercial interests in China never
had any existence, and have not therefore
seriously suffered They will sell us teas
and silks at the going prices, and allow us
what they think our silver is worth in ex-
change. Our European rivals in China
labor to make the Chinese authorities believe
that We are unfriendly to them because our
laboring people do not like the competition of
theirs. But we doubt it, on any such senti-
ment, our merchants would bo excluded from
trade if they offered as good bargains and as
desirable merchandise as those of other
nations.
All of which is but a preface to n few re-
marks on the new cases which came up in the
supreme court on Monday involving the va
lidity of certain anti-Chinese ordinances of
the city of San Francisco. For years n struggle
has been going ON in California, and more
especially in San Francisco, between the
treaty rights of the Chinese and the local laws
of the state and its chartered municipality.
An ordinance was passed years ago requiring
that persons imprisoned, for no matter how
short time or for how small an ofiense,
should have their hair cut of. For China
man to lose his queue was to put upon him a
mark of deepest degradation. To brand
him on the face with hot iron would be less
punishment. Another ordinance prohibited
the carrying on Of the laundry business UNI
less upon petition Of twelve citizen freeholders
resident within the block. This was prohi-
bition. Both ordinances were declared in
valid by the United States courts. But now,
as if to prove the utter inutility of attempts
to compel q people to submit to what Is Ia
them abhorrent, the city Of san Francisco has
imposed conditions which are equally appli.
cable to all, but which arc pretty sure to So
operate as to exclude Chinese laundriel
from the city. The requirement is that O
license shall be had, and that no license shall
issue until the health commissioners certify
that the premises have thorough sewerage and
drainage, until the fire commissioners certify
that the danger from fire is properly guarded
against and until the board of supervisor
shall vote its consent, The opinion of the
| writer, based on some years experience Will
; the people of San Francisco, is that the China
, man will no more "washee, washce," if thi
! ordinance is maintained. And OH what argu
ment can it be Overthrown? Twelve years
| experience in the reconstruction period taugh
us the wonderful resistance which com
, munities could present to all attempts at ex
ternal force which fell short of open war, ant
/ at the end of II all wo have been forced I,
5 rely upon natural political forces within tn,
D southern states themselves for the enforce
: ment Of the constitutional edict of enfran
= chisement. And so IL will be on the Pacific
: The people there will contrive many ways L
A rid themselves of the unwholesome elemen
4 in whose welfare so many of their eastern
3 fellow citizens feel so deep an interest. Th
{ new anti.Chinese ordinance of San Francsc