Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-17

The relation Of the labor question to our pros
peTity is intimate and important, We have an
element among us, the Chinese which VIII as
loug as it exists IN our midst, he source of
direct and positive injury. II Is not to the point
that the agitation does more harm than the
cause: il IS not TO the point that demagogueS
ride this hobby into power and travel rough
shod over vital interests: it is not To the point
that treaty eompactS must be Kept, and that we
have no right in morals or in law to Cypress
these people; all THIS IS true. yet the irritating
disease Is here and must be removed. The very
fact that men are brutal sud unjust toward the
Chinese. The very fact that politicians selfishly
Keep up the crusade and would sacrifice indi-
vidual Interests or others, only makes it the
more desirable u remove the cause.
Last sumner when thousands Of East
ecn people came here on cheap fares
they found us in q state If social eruption and
rebellion; they found irresponsible persons
leading the masses, 10 the ruin of the farmer
ana fruit-groWcr they found the hateful boy
colt threatening legitimate trade and business;
they found depression and general dread Of in
ability to gather our crops; they found a social
friendship IN their fierce resolve to drive out the
Chiuamen forthwith; thcy found determined
effort OF organized men to dictate how and by
= hOm business should be conducted, and by
whom II should not be; hundreds OF these home
.cekerS LETT our State in disgust, never to re
turn; they declined to stop where they would
no longer be able To control their own property;
they GCCi- cd to stop where the torch was re-
gardCd as Il legitimate political weapon, and
where Independence of action and thought was
no- tolerated. HAPPILY this uprising spent its
farce With only such incidental injury as keep
ing Immigrants away and deepening the DIS
trust abroad in our IdW-abidine character but
who shall say il has permanently passed away
Indispensable the Cinnamon are until they
can be replaced, il is my belief that the conflict
is ire concilable, aud gradually they must 60
and The more rapidly the better AS rule the
farmer and frlIit-groWer and the producer seen-
orally stood by the law, and entered his protest
.tr-.,
for this great evil, taking the high
and impregnqble position that in this country
of equal rights combinations of whatever
kind, whether of men or capital, 10 break down
or control legitimate occupations. were opposed
TO law, opposed to good government and good
morals. Let us maintain this position to the
last, but let us not overlook the fact that the
universal sentiment of this coast, expressed in
a thousand ways has demanded the speedy re-
moval of the Chinese, and that public griev-
ance SO far-reaehing and vital will never cease
to demand a cure.
The labor question here is no. like the labor
question OF the East our conditions are differ.
ent, our evils are unlike theirs. There is little
ciscoutent there among farm labOreTS, because
OF the small farms and the close relations be-
tween the farmer and his emplOye, The fric-
ton there is chiefly in the factories and on the
great railroad lines, where the hours of labor
may be fixed, and where the wages are vital,
because the labor must support himself and
family apart from the employer The law for
class the laborer on the farm is assured of good
food and lodging at his employers expense in
the East, and he is not confronted with ques-
lions of rent, price of food and clothing, and the
nature of his employment does not admit OF fix
ing his hours of work.
Our great industries here must come to
this our nomadic herds of farm
hands must have all-the-yeGr employment and
an abiding-place with their work they must
be fed ard housed as civilized man should be
fed and housed; they must be encouraged to
save their earnings the wide gap between the
employed ana the employer must be closed the
great wealth of individuals must be consecTated
to higher and holieT uses, and not debssed TO
the qualification of personal pleasures and 6ppe-
tltes. These reforms come 18th population
with small farms; with diversified agriculture
with an intelligent and rational struggle Tor ex-
stence.
The Almighty nowhere on this continent.
and hardly think elsewhere on the globe has
strewn His gifts with more lavish hand than
under the bright skies OF California the very
exuberance of His bounty seems TO imply the
presence of people correspondiDgly near to
perfection. Here should dwell a noble race.
Man should here find his highest development
and why may he not