The Labor enquirer., 1886-07-17
THE COAST CURSE.


nothing of, or, at any rate, do not heed
the blighting evil that has settled upon
the Pacific Coast, and is rapidly taking
the shape of an awful curse, l refer to
the Chinese invasion, which is over
running the coast states, aud particularly
California.
East of the Missippi river the people
pay no attention to you when you warn
them of the inevitable result of allowing
the Chinese TO come into our country as
free competitors of the white people
and even IN Colorado, where the copper
faces are 30 painfully numerous, it seems
the people will not be warned in time
of the evil to come. But the day is not
far distant when they will experience a
rude awakening. Let US hope they will
not sleep too long.
The writer has, within six months,
been in California and studied the stu
alton there but for fear some will doCbt
the statements of radical" l give the
following truthful words from an article
BYE. W. Gillian, in the North American
Review for July:
can American manufacturer, as re-
cent writer points out, employs Chinese
workmen at low rates. Other manufac-
turers are soon compelled to do the same.
Presently rich Cinnamon appear who
buy out the manufacturers, and the en-
tire business becomes Chinese The
cause is patent. The American, with
stronger physique, and more inventive
ifless initiative powers, is, 30 far forth, a
better workman. But Chinaman can
live on a fourth of what is required by
an average American, exercising rigid
rules of thrift and economy. He can,
therefore, easily underbid the American,
and will always so far do so as to control
the situation. The man who will do the
work for half the sum, is in universal
demand. The American must either
lower his wage, or leave.
"But it would require the same train
ing of centuries, and under 0opulous
conditions unknown to us, for the Amer
ican to come down to the Chinaman's 8
reduced standard of comfort. Even
could he at once descend Tit, it would
be undesirable. Low wages, with tenn
porary local advantage to manufacturers,
would ultimately prove an en- during
national curse. Their incidental inhu-
ence upon production is adverse, in
making the laborer less efficient, and
diminishing the tendency toward I'M
proved economic methods.
Their proper and permanent effect,
however, is upon distribution, in giving
to capital larger share of the wealth,
and widening the gap between poor and
rich-an evil already assuming among
US threatening aspects.
THE main-stream upon California has
been vile. Beyond question it is blight
ing the Pacific coast. The Californians
are the most competent judges, and their
opinion, excepting some interested man
ufacturers, is intense and unanimous.
The state is said to be approaching ret.
repression, and even her millionaires are
'graVitsting' eastward. We have before
US the Report of the Special Committee
of tbo Roo ri of SuDarvioorc Of Sop Erop
cisco, on the Condition of the Chinese
Quarter issued last July. The facts to
which they testify, after personal and
most painstaking inspection, including
aftidavlts from prominent physicians
and law officers, can scarcely be ques-
toned. They affirm:
That in twelve blocks are crowded,
in indescribable filth, 10000 men and
1885 women, of the latter fifty-seven
being legitimGte wives, 567 professional
prostitutes, the residue either concu-
bines or women of doubtful character;
that, beds being unknown, they sleep in
hunks, with two in bunk, relays in
daytime, and rolls of bedding for Sleep
ing on floors, women and children
being stuck in f-the-way corners
that there are $50 gambling dives, the
approaches to which are generally so
barricaded as to defy police detection
that, while there Is AN opium layout
in nearly every sleeping the, pub
lie resorts are twenty-six, with 319
hunks that there are thirty five dens of
white prostitution, generally patron.
lied by Chinese, and si1tY-nine of Chi
nese prostitution, patronized generally
by whites that among the latter especi-
ally the rates are extremely low, and
that white boys, as young as even 8 or
10. are often enticed into them that
there is no city in the world where 80
many children are afflicted with secret
diseases as San Francisco, and that nine
tenths of it is traceable to the exces-
sively cheap prostitution of Chinatown;
that the Chinese prostitutes are regu.
larry bought and sold for terms of years
and that organized bodies of villains ex-
list, as the Ye Tung society, for the pur
pose of capturing and restoring TO the
owner fugitive prostitutes; that gamb-
ling, opium-smoking and prostitution
are 30 intrenched that the police force
necessary to suppress them would bank
rupt the city that the course Of justice
is systematically baffled by powerful
guilds or secret tribunals; that, within
these twelve blocks, there are thirteen