Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-16
AN EASTERN VIEW.
The Chinese in California and the Chi
nese Hills.

nebe blilS.
New York Tribune February sth
Congressman Morrow, of California, has
introduced three bills for the better carry
ing out of the restrictions upon Chinese
immigration embodied in existing legisla-
ton. The justification of these bills lies IN
the fact that the so-called Restriction Act
has not proved effective hitherto. The Chi
nese are persistent and cunning people
and they have succeeded in evading the
law TO such an extent that in some respects
it has been little more than dead letter
The feeling ON the whole Pacific coast on
Chinese immigration has not been at all
thoroughly understood in the Eastern
States. The folly and extravaganza Of a
| few conspicuous demagoglies have unfor-
| tunately been too generally regarded as the
measure of Pacific coast intelligence on the
| question, while abstract views OF the duty
| of the country have prevented careful con-
sideration of concrete facts showing a state
of things eminently calculated to change
| the opinions of candid investigators
Chinese labor in the past has helped Call
| ifornia, and far more, perhaps, than Cali
fornians have been willing to admit But
the development of the State has now
reached point at which form of labor
differing but little from peonage must be-
come more and more a h;ndrance to the
progress of American civilization. The hard
times which California has experienced dur
ing the past year have emphasized this evil
The alien labor of the Chinese has by its
cheapness limited the area of white labor
most seriously. The fact that this cheap
labor is alien cannot be LETT out of consid
Grafton, for the Chinese are not desirous of
assimilation, even if capable of it, and
| therefore they must be regarded always as
mere birds of passage, not TO be counted as
possible citizens or as future contributors to
the growth and stability of the Republic.
In California they appear as not only
formidable but invincible competitors
with white labor The latter can only
overcome them by undertaking them,
and that means descent below the level of
even Chinese civilization, and is not to be
thought of. Notwithstanding the bluster
and turbulent talk OF demagogues, the peo-
pie Of California generally have endured
this burden with a patience which proves
the depth and soundness of their Anglo
Saxon training. Thereccnt depression has
made it much heavier and the virtual fail
ure of the Restriction Act has caused great
discouragement Now therefore that the
California Representatives ask Congress TO
amend and make effective the law whose
enactment was pledge to abate the Chi
nese evil, the request ought to be carefully
considered, and granted, as regards the val
idation of the Restriction Act, if only from
a sense of justice. For it is clear that the
people of the Pacific coast are fully entitled
to all the relief which was expected from
the Act as originally passed, but which has
not taken effect because of defects in the
provisions. One of the bills introduced by
| Mr.. Morrow extends the terms of the Act
to twenty years, the argument being
that as the original Act has only
six years to run, it will be difficult
to induce settlement unless there is
2 some assurance against the removal of
all barriers to Chinese immigration before
f newcomers have had time to establish
: themselves. This provision is liable to
! provoke some opposition, and another,
I which authorizes the Treasury Department
: to police the frontier to prevent the SNUG
e Cling of Cinnamon is open to the objection
). that such an undertaking is almost i'm
= practicable, and that the attempt to carry
e it ont would probably only result in q
waste of the public funds. But, as regards
the other provisions which look to the val
idation of the Restriction Act, their enact
Il ment appears Just and right. 1t certainly
/ was not the intention of Congress to enact
= a restriction law which should be prac
u tically useless, but through inexperiencC
o that was the result of the attempt to afford
" relief. 1t may almost be said that the en-.
i deavor to check Chinese immigration has
|. to be begun again, so little use has the law
u been. and whatever is necessary to give
; California what the country has already
S lpromised her should be conceded promptly
e and cheerfuily