Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-11
THE LESSON OF RErRosprcr1oN.

THE LESSON OF RETROsPECTION.
In searching numerous newspaper files
recently for a matter of recorded State
history, the eye constantly met the ex-
pressions of the press of California in de-
bates upon the Chinese question, for pc
Rod covering the time between this date
and 1866. The effect was to recall more
wildly to memory the position of the
press in the early history of the Chinese
agitation. What was written in the more
thoughtful journals ten, fifteen and twenty
years ago, would, if reproduced now, we'll
lit the situation of to-day. It would re-
veal that in fact the State has not made
much progress against the Chinese. Be
You'd the passage of Restriction Acts that
are practically imperative, and do not re-
strict immigration as was anticipated, and
the more general and bold assault of
the Chinese upon free labor, the
country is just about where il was in the
beginning. This journal, while San Fran
cisco was clamoring for cheap labor, was
then as now, inveighing against the cheap
labor fallacies and contending that Chi
nese labor is uneconomic and undesirable
and destructive of our industrial system
aild.a drag upon the development of the
Stae Most of the interior journals of
the coast were saying the same thing then
as aow. The preaching has gone on, and
so has the immigration. From 10000
Chinese in our midst the number has
swetled to 100000. From mere servitors
the Chinese have advanced to the position
-of ;roafssTTii etors and manufacturers; from
being competitors with labor in its rudest
form, they have antagonized commercial
and trade interests, and are contesting the
fields of agriculture, manufacturing and
wagt-paying. The chief accomplishment
Of all these years has been the partial
education of Eastern sentiment to proper
view of the question. When that instruc-
ton becomes general conviction, we may
look. for the beginning of the end. To
that labor, therefore, we believe our best
efforts should now be dedicated. The
anti-Chinese battle ground lies East of the
Mississippi river On that field it is
to be fought and the victory won.
The history the old files reveal
to US emphasizes this belief It recalls
also the fact that this has been a patient
people. Californians have been indeed mar
velously patient and submissive to wrong
policies. Reflection will convince anyone
that all the violence resorted to here. when
considered in the light of thirty wears of
history of the whole country is as nothing,
when compared to lawless proceedings
among laboring classes at the East. In
Tact, California has good record COM
pared with that of either the West. the
Middle or the Atlantic States We should
endeayor to better it still, and prove to the
people on the other side of the continent
that in the midst OF violent agitation.
under stimulus OF circumstances that al |
most anywhere else would breed riots and
NIB violence, and result in blood-letting
and the destruction of property and life,
the people of California have controlled
the vicious class held in check those who |
otherwise would have been led into law
lessness, and prevented the peace of the
people and the integrity of the laws |
The exceptions to this statement |
have been very few. We can
afford to trust to the sober Judgment of |
our distant brethren justifying us in the
end, and that justification is near at hand. |
If We lose control of our passions now:
II we even assume the attitude of defiance
II We permit enthusiasm to degenerate into
persecution and brutalism, we will utterly
destroy the augmenting sentiment at the
East that is now gaining control of public |
opinion in our interest. We need to I'M
hesitatingiy and emphatically condemn |
the unwise, and foolish, not to say criminal.
efforts to "bulldoze those of our own
household. These domiciliary visits and
threats must cease; these menaces to pri- |
waite rights must utterly cease. If self
appointed committees are permitted to
continue the attemps to intimidate house
holders upon the thresholds of their |
homes, the American spirit will revolt |
against it and sentiment will develop
here antagonistic to the effort being made
to settle the Chinese question peaceably, |
lawfully and without injury to industry.
III that comes about, the anti-Chinese cause
will be put back another decade.