Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-18
"AGRICTLTURAL. CHINESE.
viewing Both Sides of the Mongolian
Question and Its Agitation.

viewing Both Sides of the Mongolian
Question and Its Agitation.
EDS. RECORD UNION l notice your ex
cerpts and editorial remarks in this morn
ing's paper upon the above topic, under the
heading a Serious Phase of he Chinese
Question" Your observations are sensible
las, of course an editors always are), yet
at the same time it must be borne in mind
that dangerous diseases require stern treat
ment-whisky TO the snake bite, knife to
the cancer, saw TO tile Notifying limb
and that somebody must be hurt more or
less. Talk about it, write about it. speech
ify about it, resolute" about it, and yet
after all il is the old question-capital VS..
labor, the hirer VS.. the wsge-worker. And
so ii will be. True you may say not en-
urely so, but it is only the employer who
would keep the Chinese here. If 4 vote
could be taken to-day by the employers
and white employees, ninety-nine one
hundredths of the ballots to retain
D." the little brown men would
come from the former class. OF course
there are two sides to this question. And
one great cause of the present agitation is
that many employees of Chinese labor in
factories especially, are awakening to the
fact that it is only question of time when
the Chinaman will be the manufacturer On
the coast. Their own seif-ipterest is in
jeopardy Perhaps il is well So The agri-
cultural and horticultural man is not so
deeply touched as yet. Consequently, he
comes down from Tehama and Butte and
VacaYille, +" cool-headed," etc. for himself
And he is highland wrong Right, in say
ing that all the Chinese cannot be dis
pensed with at once; that not every man
can go out and pick and pack fruit he
must learn how to do it. Right, III saying
that there is not available sufficient mum
Der Of skilled laborers to take care of the
crop this year. But the proposition that it
will take eight years To displace this labor
is absurd ana unreasonable to an unpreiu-
diced and disinterested mind.
But if the majority of cool-headed {"
agricultural and horticultural men nave
their way it will take eighteen times eight
years To do it. They prefer 10 employ
Chinese labor so long as they can get it.
They may protest otherwise. but the
proof of the pudding is in the eating" 1t
is more money i'll their pockets, and they
will do it so long as nothing is said or
done to prevent it. That's the long and
short of it. As you observe, white people
do not want To labor at the same basket
with a Chinaman. They feel degraded by
II, anu, III olle SeilSS, no one can DIline
them. The phrase, All honest labor is
honorable" here meets a pretty tight
squeeze. Again, the employers of viii e
labor do not treat The lab1rcr as he is
treated in the East Here he must sleep
out, anywhere-go with gang" and
be " bossed" and driven" more than
there. He feels that his employer cares
nothing for him, more than for his horse
or hog, for the money that is III him. OF
course this is not true in all cases. But il
is so in great many-the majority. All
arising, of course, from the land system of
the State. But the employee is at fault, too
to certain extent. lie is too particular
about the kind of man for whom he la
bors, what and how much he must do
And if his employer is 49er and hap
pens to say d-n it" when the empluye
makes mistake, or don't give him pie for
his dinner, he strikes and leaves
Now, Mr.. Editor, say you "all this is
foreign to the topic and farfetched?" One
minute more; this / have observed gener-
ally and particularly: A young man came
up with me on the train Monday from Los
Angeles, bound eastward He told me
that when he went out to hunt
work, employers told him that they
preferred to employ Chinese" they were
more docile, faithful, etc" | could name
many other instances TO sustain my ideas
What | am coming to is this You say
form immigration societies to bring in
laborers. You are right. Thay step, COM
bined with " boycotting." is the only
method that will ever rid this coast of
servile labor. Mark that But when YOU
try TO induce laborers to come here, tell
them beforehand just what TO expect so
that they will not be disappointed when
they come. Tell them that they will re-
ceiye more pay and less social accommoda-
tions than in the East. Tell them that a
= 49er will swear sometimes. Tell them.
II they are not willing to work hard. to
stay at home. And so get good
timber " here. Then as to the other
side, the Chinese are here and are en-
titled TO the protection of the law.
Those who have leased for years ar not
bound to give up their leases Those Te-
hama and Butte men are not obliged to
employ white men. But no white man is
Obliged to buy or deal with any man.
Chlnaman or white, unless he chooses to
do It, Thank God for that privilege. White
| men who will, can say that they will not
deal with those Cinnamon. White men
vino will, can say to these agricultural and
horticultural men, unless you show some
sympathy for the poor men of your own
! race, by beginning this very season to give
employment 10 some OF them (eyen at two
bits more per day for the same work, and
indicate that, as fast as possible, you will
dlsplace Chinese by white labor, we will
not deal with you. l suggest that the agri-
cultural and horticultural men of Tehama.
Butte, Yolo, Solano and other counties,
meet and form an anti-Chinese society for
this purpose; to dispense with Chinese
| labor as fast as possible, and then prove
their words by their actions. viii they do
1t? The Chinese are not to blame for be-
ing here nor for staying here, if public
| opinion permits it. 1t is those who employ
and patroniZe them And we are all
creatures of self-interest to large extent.
The writer is neither an employer, nor an
employe OF any kind of labor, but expects
| to be sooner or later, and is now a citizen,
taxpayer and voter Let IS the greatest good
| to the greatest number " be the motto, and
let the right prevail. w. NJ. II.