National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-31

friends and political brethren. For such 1t
speaks.
The scrvIIo Labor Question Ably Ex-
planned.
Mr. Rice, Of Massachusetts,, opposes any
amendment to tho act for enforcing tho
recent treaty stipulations with China. lie
represents those who favor Chinese emigra-
ton. He will make minority report to tho
house from his committee, TO which was re.
fcrred the bill agreed on by the Pacific coast
senators and representatives. There is a
strong coalition between Philanthropy and
Thrift in this matter of Chinese importa-
ton, just as aforetimo there
was in the slave trade. Be-
lieving that Mr. Rice and those in congress
who agree with him represent the phi
lanthropic wing of this combination, wo de-
sire TO bring to his and their notice soft
breeze from the Pacific, which watts to us n
little of the spice of thrift which manages to
ride aud tie with religion in the premises
~ 10 llOh lhO ltllulb VI th2 NulhullNNto WI
labor of tho planters Labor and Sup.
ply company" made at the annual meet
ing of the latter at Honolulu in October
last. The committee consisted Of Samuel 4.
Alexander, q. N. Wilcox, William o. Smith,
and a. Unna. Tho first-named three are the
sons OF missionaries to the Sandwich Islands,
nrI tbo;r 81 tra,nino Aid mot amman Ia
have prevented them from entertaining very
practical views in worldly affairs If rum
and religion and slavery and philanthropy
can go hand in hand, these thrifty islanders
have found the road on which they may
travel. In the report before us this commit
tee first ask themselves the following ques-
tons:
The future action of this country in relation to
the coming OF the Chinese your committee deem
one OF the most important problems Of the times.
Shall we encourage Chinese emigration, and to
what extent? Shnll we permit the Chinese to
come without bringing their wives with them?
Following 10 their answer:
Your committee thoroughly believe in Chinese
LABOR, not because 1t is the very best-the Portu.
guese is better-but because II Is the only available
source from which we can secure an adequate
supply of laborat reasonable rates No
country is expected to prosecute industries which
are not profitable, and the experience of sugar
growing the world over goes to prove that cheap
labor which means, in plain words, sCrrtlG labor
the italics are the COMMUNICATION. REP. must
be employed in order to render this enterprise
successful.
If this old.fashioned language should cause
Mr. Rice, of Massachusetts, or any others of
the philanthropy side to vince, let the COM
mittee be allowed to muflle the sound little
SO as to take off some of its harshness. They
say:
Men shudder at the word servilc labor as though
1t was akin to slave labor, but the term has no
such Specification. In arguing Tor servle labor
we only mean to soy that we must fall back on
the lOper strata [agan the italics are tho commit
tees-ED. REF. of society, because 1t is cheap la.
Dor, aud because it is adapted to the tropics.
What would take the "shudder" OF from
the idea of servile labor if not such velvet
slippered phrases as these? They make one
feel as though it was an act of kindness to
the 'lower strata to keep it low, expressly
that it may fill this important place in the
economy of nature and money making sugar
planting.
Concerning the proposition made in the
interest Of morality, 'that no males be
allowed to come unless they bring with
them their wives" the committee say:
Without exacting such rigorous conditions. and
thereby perhaps shutting out Chinese labor alto.
gcther we would advocate that arrangements Il
possible, be made by which Chinese with thei
| families, may DO brought into the country. 4
measure of this kind we grant will do NOR
toward making these islands essentially Chinese
than all that has been done heretofore but tn
present condition of things is abnormal, and tn
interests Of morality, as well as the security o
life and property, demand move in this direc
ton.
The suggestion that such measure would
either exclude Chinese labor altogether o.
make the islands essential Chinese throw
considerable doubt over the genuineness o
the recommendation that it BIO adopted.
We have copied these plain words of the
thrifty sons of some of the Sandwich Island
missionaries in order that our eastern pro
Chinese philanthropists may borrow from
them, and thus enrich the debates witt
humanitarian doctrines which do not hur
the pocket.
The president of this association of tn
sugar planters of the Sandwich Islands is Col
H. S. Spalding. lie is spending the winte
in Washington as the agent of the associa
ton, and can, no doubt, easily give an.
eastern representative two to one in explain
ing the advantages of the servilo labor c
"the loWer strata of society" from which GU
Chinese emigration is supplied.
The public opinion of the country will nc
sustain any action by congress which compe
any naval officer to lead an expedition fC
the relief of the Greedy MARTY The genai