, 1886-04-01
Rights OF Chinese y America

utllNttNN u L tIlld!li' W.
An evil spirit Is abroad in the land
not only here. but everywhere
It tramples down the law Of the
country and fosters riot and an
arciy.
Now it Is riding on the back of.
labor, and the foolish Issachar
chr0ucLe5 down to the burdens and
becomes Is servant.
Lawless and irresponsible aasocia-
tons Of persons are forming all over
tie country, claiming the right to
impose their opinions upon others,
and to dictate for whom they shall
work and whom they shall hire, from
whom they shall buy and to whom
they shall sell, and for what price or
compensation. In these associations
the most aUdacious and unscrupulous
naturally come to the front, and for
the time being control their conduct.
Freedom, law and order are so far
subyerted and tyranny Is set up IL
our midst most gross and CALLING.
Nothing like it has afflicted the
world since the middle ages, when
the lawless barons and their brutal
followers desolated Europe with their
private wars and predatory raids,
until the husbandman was driven
from his ravaged field and the arti-
san from his pillaged shop, and the
fair land became waste.
The dominant motive of the move
ment Is some form OF selfshness and
its tendency is backward to barbar
isn-the rule Of the strongest, guided
by no other better precept than this,
might makes right"
This is not the time or place to in
duire into the cause OF this condition
of society. 1t may be TIE natural
outcome of the modern political econ
omy, which, assuming that the con
hict of private interests will produce
economic order and right. has re duced
the relation between capital and
| labor to the mere matter of supply
and demand, and limited the duty
and obi cation Of the one to the other,
to the payment OF the minimum Of
wages for the maximum of labor OF
the one hand, and to getting the max
imum of wages for the minimum OF
labor on the other.
But whatever the cause, l have
faith that the teaching Of experience,
and the good sense and love of JUS
tice of the people Will find remedy
for the evil in time. And IN the
meanwhile it behooves those of us
into whose hands the administration
of the law and the conservation OF the
public peace is cOnhded, to do what
we can wisely but firmly, TO prevent
this evil spirit from destroying the
material resources OF the country and
making any improvement III the con
dition of society in this respect, still
more difficult and doubtful.
Lately, this spirit has been mani
Testing itself in Oregon, by assault
ing, robbing and driving out tho
helpless Chinese, who are engaged
among us at labor for an honest liv-
ing.
The excuse given for this conduct
io that the Chinese are taking the
bread out Of the mouths of their as
sailants by working for less wages
and living cheaper than the latter
can. In other words, they complain
of the industry and economy OF the
Chinese as being beyond their COM
petition.
As we all know, this statement
must be taken with much allowance.
True, the Chinaman IS indust. iOua
and economical, and he has the ad-
vantage of being temperate and
| Foif Ia F,,l {p hf. Isut ha
demands and gets better wages here
thaa white men i'll any other part OF
the world, and, save in the matter OF
whisky and tobacco, he lives as we'll
and is as well clad as the bulk OF
common laborers anywhere.
But this outcry against the Chinese
as laborers is not new. 1t was heard
from thirty to fifty years ago, when
the native mobs iii our eastern towns
and cities undertook to drive out the
comparatively "cheap labor" of Ire
land and Germany, particularly the
latter, that was then crowding into
this country and filling the places OF
the slothfui and shiftless.
1t is not necessary now to consider
the right of Il people to oppose or put
stop to an undesirable immigration.
For my own part l have 10 doubt
| that the United States has the same
right to prevent an immigration with
in its boundaries, of people that ii
deems Objectionable, as it would
have to repel an armed invasion by
them.
But this is matter Tor tho whole
country, represented by the national
government, to decide, and not for
individuals or neighborhoods or even
states.
The Chinese now in this country
are here under the sanction of a SOL
emn treaty with the United States,
and any attempt on the part Of indi-
viduals, acting singiy or in numbers,
to expel them by any threat, menace,
violence i'll usage is not only wrong
but unlawful.
Our treaty relations with China ex
tend over period of more than forty
years.
On July 3, 1874, treaty of peace,
amity and commerce" was negotiated
by Caleb Gushing, on behalf OF the
United States. Pub. Treat, 1I6. By
it the citizens of this country were
granted the right to frequent and
reside with their families, and trade
at the five ports of Kwang Chow,
Annoy, Fuehow, Ningpo and Snang-
hal.
On June Is, 1858, William r. Read
negotiated another treaty, in which
the government of China agreed to
defend the citizens of the United
States in China from all injury
of any kind" Pub Treat, 129 10
this there was supplement, on Nov,
s, Of the sameyear. Pub. Treat, 137.
On July 2S. 1853, treaty was ne
gotiated by William H. Seward, con
tanning sundry articles in addition to
the last one Pub. Treat, 147
By article V of this treaty, ''the
United States and the emperor cor
daily recognize the inherent and in