Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-27
A LIBEL UPON CALIFORNIA MINERS

Professor Appleton Morgan has Just is
sued fat and critical volume entitled
Shakespeare in Fact and in Criticism
Upon page 243 in the criticism of the
comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor"
and the share of Queen Elizabeth in the
play, Professor Morgan says:
In Henry VI. we have the Kings order 20
bring back his "annointed Queen from
France, and for his
expenses and sufficient charge
Among the people gather up a TENTH
A process which recalls the custom of the
miners in California. who. when in need OF
pocket-money, proceed to levy tax upon
any Chinaman III the vicinity.
In saying this, Professor Morgan's care
lessness regarding the truth of the charge he
utters is made apparent. Had he
cared to satisfy himself of the character
of the statement, he could easily have
done so. He appears to have accepted as
true what some irresponsible person has
uttered in his hearing, or that which he
has read IN some unsupported print Pro-
fessor Appleton Morgan, for the sake of a
weak and pointless simile, gratuitously in
suits large class of the upright citizens
of this State; he in fact puts it on record
under sanction of scholarly reputation,
that the miners in California are despers-
does, highwaymen and petty thieves. A
mere infamous assertion or calumnious
charge could scarce have been coniured
from his fancy, or recalled from the rub
bish of memory. For if it is assumed that
some one has actually told Professor Nor
gan that such is the "custom" of Califor-
mia miners or that he has read as much
the information is of the character that
comes from the muck heap, and is not
treasured in the cabinets of memory as
valuable knowledge.
AS matter of fact, there is not a word
OF truth in the careless charge The miners
Of California are neither by custom
nor by occasional ofense, robbers or
oppressors of the weak ard defenseless. 1t
is barely possible that in the early days
and in some remote quarter of the State
some debased fellows debased and
wicked anywhere might do-has wronged
a Chinaman out of his goods, or actually
taken his purse at the muzzle of a pistol
We have heard of such things happening
even within bow-shot of the classic cham
bers where Professor Appleton Morgan
presides over the deliberations of the New
York Shakespearean Club. But the dtstin-
guished author and critic would feel Justly
indignant should any allege that it is the
custom of people living in that respectable
quarter of Manhattandom to rob their fell
lows upon the highway, or extort money
by force of arms from a certain class of res
idents of that city.
The truth is, Professor Morgan's charge
is clean-cut falsehood no matter who
fathers" it. The miners of California
regard the rights of property in their
neighbors, be they white or yellow, as
sacredly as they do their own. They have
not INDUCED in the custom of wringing
pocket money from Cinnamon. If an at
tempt to rob a Chinaman is made in the
mountain mining section or in the valleys
in California, the people are as quick TO
search out the offender and mete out pun
ishment for the crime as the people of New
York could be, and as indignant that hui
man rights are infringed as the author of
the Bankside Shakespeare could pos
sibly be.
There is great deal of libel afloat about
California of which that just cited is but
type. The impression has been made by
the Bret Harte school of novelists and the
lesser army of florid and sensational writ
ers of cheap literature that the typical
Californian of the mountains is walking
arsenal, a rough, unlettered and vulgar
fellow, 4 whisky-drinking loaier, rene
gade, 4 white-handed and smooth-faced
gambler, or desperate wretch, unre-
strained by law, social influences, or any
regard for human rights. Even to this
day, people otherwise intelligent come
upon visits TO California fully impressed
with the idea that they are TO eneonte
the rudeness, dangers and lawlessness Of a
wild frontier and. an unconquered terri
tory. The evidence i, palpabIs that Pro-
fessor Morgan has fallen a victim to this
amusingly-foolish belief, and with guile
less simplicity has swallowed the libel
bodily-that California miners replenish
their purses by throttling and robbing
Chinese. But this cannot excuse him for