Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-25
THE TWO CONVENTIONS = DANGER
AHEAD

The people of Sacramento held repre-
sentative, cool and deliberatiye mass meet
ing December 3, 1885, to consider the Chi
nese question. That meeting was, we say,
eninently and unlimitedly representative
1t suggested and directed State Conven-
ton 10 be held to secure the broadcast and
wisest counsel. Subsequently a meeting
of expressly limited representation was
held in San Jose, and also called State
Convention. The Sacramento Convention
was called for March 10th; that of San
earlier. After the calls were issued, the
promoters of the San Jose scheme urged
the friends Of the Sacramento movement
to abandon their call and unite with them.
To this their response was that it was i'm
possible, because theirs was the priorca it
was call for thoroughly representative
body, delegates being chosen by the Super.
visors of all the counties, and thus
accredited by recognized authority; that
tho san Jose Convention was not and
could not be truly representative, because
itsrcan was limited, and large sections Of
the State debarred representation, and,
lastly, because matters had progressed too
far to permit the idea to be entertained.
The San Jose Convention was thereupon
held, and on adjournment it agreed to re-
assemble in Sacramento on the day fixed
for the original and first-called Conyen-
tion. An offer to the San Jose body to
join hands with the Convention of March
10th has just been rejected, and there the
matter stands.
This puts things into just about as bad
shape as is possible. OF all things in the
world, divided counsels are tile worst for
the aRti-Chinese cause. Now the purpose
OF Convention from the outset was to
mold public opinion at the East by voic-
ing the sentiment of the people of Cali
fornia. Our own people need no educa-
tion in the matter whatever. The
whole object was and is to give
such calm expression through a
body of delegates chosen from all the
counties, by the legislative board of each
county. and embracing business, labor,
commercial, agricultural and all other in
terests affected The idea was that the
voice of such a convocation would be
needed at the East. But if we are to have
two Conventions on the 10th of March,
one radical and the other conservative. the
effect viii be to weaken the efforts made TO
give this State relief.
There is no escape from the conviction
that the recalling of the San Jose Conven-
ton to meet here on the same day with
the original Convention was unwise. 1t
does not disclose 4 desire to further the
common purpose. There is no pressing
need for the Resembling 1t looks yery
much ike purposeful plan to bring about
a collision in methods, that will furnish
our opponents at the East precisely the
opportunity they desire-reason to ex-
claim that this people do not know their
own minds. 1t looks very much as if the
promoters of the San Jose scheme mean to
oppose any and all temperate methods, and
to insist upon the foolish radicalism that
threatens to do so much injury to indus
trial interests in California.
This idea of driving the Chinese from
one place and crowding them into another
has not particle of strength in it, but
contains all the elements of weakness. Pre-
ciseiy as the mass meeting in Sacramento
of December 18th resolved:
He who declares the whole Chinese ouestion
can be settled without thorough orra ni1ation
among the entire people OF the coast and that
all the chinese employed in shops and factories
throughout the State can be replaced by opera
tivcs to be brought here from the East in twenty
or thirty days, Is either fool or knave.
The radicals in their haste propose to
suddenly disrupt and revolutionize condi-
lions under which vast industries have
grown up, and to furnish nothing better in
lieu of the system they would break down.
To give apparent emphasis to anti Chinese
sentiments they propose to punish peo-
pie innocent of all wrong-doing,
and to visit upon fruit, and general agri-
cultural interests, injury that must be felt
in all trade and labor circles. II is simply
an attempt to bite off our noses to spite
our faces" 1t is graver than folly-it is
insanity.
If the desire is to kill the anti Chinese
movement to irrevocably fasten Chinese
-servile labor upon California to rivet the
chains of workingmen beyond hope o.
their release; to make ruinous and de-
moralizing Chinese competition pernra-
.nent, let this rabid radicalism go on and