The Labor enquirer., 1883-03-03
n,,,o Chinese tn Amertca.

II competition against white. e.labor. But |
have Principal Grant Is before me as pub.
hshed in the Canadian Monthly, of
August, 1881. Therein he states his
feelings,in the following language:
1T is, perhaps, hardly worth while to.
treat. the anti-Chinese cry seriously. 1t
is based upon ureason and ignorance Of
facts. 1t is sustained by misrepresenta-
ton, which is wicked even when unin-
territorial, and by sci fshness, which is as
injurious to the conmon veal as it is
sh6rtsighted to the individual"
Further on he states LET us clearly
understand the state of the question:
eff agitators condemn the immortality
of the Chinese, we are at one with them,
and we are heartily willing to join in a
crusade against the immoraIities of the
Americans and Europeans as well"
Doubtless Principal Grant may mean
well, and considers himself perfectly.
right in the position he has taken. But
are not conscientious workWen allowed
an equal right in judgment? But the
principal, out of his JEALOUS feelings has
allowed to come charges Of unreasoning;
ignorance, misrepresentation, which is
wicked, and selfshness against those
who have taken position in the inter-
est of their MATERIAL, ultimately their
social and moral welfare. Now would
like to ask what practical experience has.
Mr.. Grant in the matter, that he should
allow himself, AS the most fitting per-
son, to sit in the seat of judgment and
pronounce so favoaably in the interest
of this indiscriminate importation Of
the Chinese? He has only heard and
read of the bright side Of the story,
from the lips and pens Of missionaries.
Let Principal Grant 60 as a missionary
say to San Francisco, and then into the
haunts and homes of these Chinese, and
live and fare with them for three
months. Let him go into their many
dens of infamy and prostitution.
If this will not do, then let him con-
descend to be a journeyman cigar
maker, or tailor, or boot and shoemaker,
having a wife and six children, and then
20 and compete with the "wronged"
Chinese. ! T..
1t will then be time for Principal
Grant to charge home ignorance, sell
fshness and umeasoning," etc, to the
working classes affected by the compe-
t;tion of Chinese5cheap labor.
If the working classes are all wrong,
and their leaders looked upon as "agi-
tators," let: Principal Grant and other
philanthroPic gentlemen look into the
Globesof February 3, in page 7. and read
and thoughtfuIIy ponder over, "How the
working classes make both ends meet
From thence read "An Appeal from the
Pacific Coast"
/ am not going to justify any wrong
doing, or extravaganza, or debauchery
among the working classes.
But Christian gentlemen must not for
get that these evils have been copied
from those high in authority, and some
times, [ am sorry to say, from Chris
tian n parsons, or so-called Christian
teachers. The fact is that certain Chris
ton gentlemen are very plausible in
their sayings and doings on behalf Of
down-trodden, benIghted humanity.
But when it comes home to the vital
point, "Shal benighted humanity live
and fare as sumptuously as we do ?" then
all their actions take a change-"for
workingmen might not ask two, but
three, or even four dollars per day, to
plow my fields" '>Of course Yes
of course this is a serious question, that
comes home to the capitalist that has
rot his money easily, but does not like
the workman to get it quite so easily.
And Principal Grant who by the fortu-
nate circumstance of writinga book, has
reached so high a position in Queens
University, with a pretty good salary,
can talk nicely about cheap labor deyeI-
oping our country but cheap labor does
not affect him in his high position.
Such gentlemen in so high and favor
able positions talk very nicely about
helping the workingmen yagitators in a
crusade against Chinese fmmoraIties.
But what have they done? Gentlemen
who have every facility for informing
themselves Of the evils arising from the