Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-03-09
The Real Hoycott.

While the Chinese question is be-
ing considered in the East from the
standpoint OF a sickly humanitari-
anism, and the word "boycott" has
acquired an inexprcssible odium to
the namby-pamby people who are
afraid to call spade a spade, as a
matter of fact the people of the
United States have been exposed
since their separation from Great
Britain to the most vigorous and un-
relenting system of boycotting from
China. "The most favored nation"
clause, which has been introduced
into our treaty with China, is a mere
mockery. Americans have always
: been Disseminated against in the do
minions of the Brother of the Sun
and Uncle of the Moon. Neither
they nor the peoples of other nation
alities have been allowed to go at
will throughout China, in the way
Cinnamon have been permitted to
travel throughout the United States,
Not only have Americans been con-
fined to the treaty ports, but they
have been steadily and constantly
harassed and restricted. Even the
trading privilege has been denied
them-at least anything deserving
that name-and they have been COM
PEELED to transact all their business
through the medium Of Chinese bro
kers. Any Chinsman who should
dare to sell directly to an American
would at once die the death Ameri-
can merchants living in the Chinese
trading posts are obliged to pay much
higher prices for teas, silks and other
commodities than the British or Rus
sian merchants. Secretary Bayard,
in his late note, very properly pointed
out the fact that the pretense OF Amer
leans having been allowed the priv
ilege of free locomotion in China was
untenable. Instead, they have been
badgered and prosecuted, hemmed
into contracted quarters and made to
feel that the sooner they went home
the better. At time when large
numbers of Americans were engaged
in business enterprises in Russian
the province of Siberia-they found
that if they bought their teas through
Russian merchants they only paid
forty cents a pound, while il they
bought them through American mer-
chants they were obliged to pay sew
enty-five cents pound. Thus we
find that, as to all Americans who
were not traders, we have been treated
to the exclusion" idea, pure and
simple, while as to even Americans
engaged intrade the handicap-a very
oppressive experience known to those
engaged on the race course-was en-
ployed. This has always been a very
effective "boycott" in China even to
our merchants. No Americans, who
should wander half a mile from the
treaty ports, would be worth anything
except as highly ornate corpses, for
hospital purposes, anywhere in China.
The American is now and always has
been tabooed in the Flowery King
dom. John Chinaman only appreci-
ates force. We have heard n great
deal about the American firm OF Rus
sell & Co. since the Franco-Chinese
war began. This was simply a con-
yenient cloak in which the Chinese
empire shrouded its navy from the
onslaughts OF the French. The Amer
lean commerce with China is absolute
ly myth, and Americans are now as
heretofore subjected to a remorseless
"boycott" in that country.
The only respect in which Califor-
mans are called upon to consider the
s.boycotting" of the Chinese is that
which has regard to their own per