The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-18

OF otner places. AT Portland, however,
although there have been meetings, and threats
and speeches, and placards, and little dyna-
raite the Chinese are and will, doubtless, remain
undsturbed The name "Agitator" here is as
unpopular among the upper classes as '.Aboli-
ZIONIST used to be in the South.
What is the exact state Of public opinion here
on the ground where the Chinese question looms
upY
l. Everybody. rich and poor, Is opposed to any
more Chinese coming to this country. It was an
invasion, not an immigration. One race or the
other must possess this continent, Asia can put
three Cinnamon here for every white man and
not feel it. They are undesirable neghbors. q
subject on which everyone has a natural prefer
Q nee. Race prejudice is one of the most stubborn
and deeply rooted facts in human society. It Is
the old issue of Indian and white African and
Caucasian. Irishman and Englishman. The
smuggling of Chinese into the States from Can
ada is fruitful source of dissatisfaction. Once
in this country, it is impossible to identify those
who are here illegally.
g Employers of Chinese labor all feel that
those who are here are an advantage to the
country There is a vast amount of mental labor
which American men will not perform at ALL
There is a still greater amount of work in a
wilderness, such as railroad building which
would, owing to the enormous expense, remain
undone if white labor had to be imported to do
it. True, this Chinaman, when he earns dollar
for digging up stump, does not spend it. but
carries it back to China. But the hole where the
stump WAS, the value, remains in this country,
and enables the white man to plant flower
garden OH the spot.
3. The laboring classes feel the presence of
the Chinaman to be the direct source of many
evils to them. They feel that the yellow faced
foreigner demoralizes the price of labor, partc-
ularly of unskilled labor. and deprives the white
laborers of employment. Full of hatred for the
Chinese and conscious that they are still coming
by way of Canada, the laboring classes, Irish,
German and American. have resolved to drive
them out and except In the largest cities. have
succeeded
a. Small politicians, aspirants for Office In
both parties, ofice-holders, such as mayor sher-
if and others. in order to win the favor of the la
boring classes are almost uniformly in favor of
driving out the Chinese.
8. For the same reason small merchants, and
tradesmen. and professional men, whose patron
age is to any extent derived from the laboring
classes. fearful of the boycott, sympathize
with the agitators. are opposed to their punish
ment, and themselves favor the expulsion of the
Cinnamon.
6. The disinterested portion of the com
munity, who neither employ Chinese labor nor
come in conflict with it, are opposed earnestly to
driving out those whom we have invited to come
here, and favor more stringent legislation
to prevent further immigration. Thoughtful
men regard the whole trouble as only a
peculiar phase of the grand issue between
labor and capital Many of the leading agita-
tors are foreign-born Communists or Socialists,
who favor, in one form or another. the confisca-
ton of private property for the public good who
are in sympathy with any movement which is
an attack upon capital and find the anti Chinese
agitation simply convenient pretext for the
PRONUNCIATION of their views.
So much for the white men, What has the
Chinaman got to say for HIMSELF One of them
said to me: "Well, if Mclean man drive me
out of Portland. l lose $500 Mclean people
here owe me that for wash clothes. IL I go,
no get him. But, by and by, my king say to
Mclean man. you pay my boy Sam" Here
was an appreciation of international equities,
which showed the shrewd intellect Of the China
man.
Another one, when asked by me what he
thought of the riots, said: Mclean missionary
in China-he better look out. Chinaman no
dam fooleer
When some Germans were forcing China
man to pick up and leave he said: '!Alee right.
Dutchman say d. Chinaman he must go. and
Chinaman he goes. By and by Mclean man say
d. Dutchman he 60. Then Dutchman he go
too"
In spite of the agitating questions In this great
West, it has doubtless great future: nay, it
has great present. In point of enterprise,
business sagacity, foresight and brains, it could
teach Indiana many lesson. These new towns
have attracted to them the very flower of the
young men of the country Let those Of US
whose choice and lot it Is to live and die in the
older States. where we were born and raised, not
hesitate to learn from our more enterprising
brothers in the We$& A. L. NJ.