Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-09

Grover in January, 1879, was supported
mainly by Democrats. Most of the Re
publicans east of the Rockies opposed i
on grounds of humanity. Although
passed it was vetoed by Hayes, a Repub
lican.
The next proposition was the 20 yea
bill in 1872. This had the same fat
as it's predecessor, Republican Presi
dent vetoed it. Do you remember th
condition of public sentiment in Califor
mia at that time; how we cried out il
anguish in Gods name is there no es
cape for us from this awful curse? Ii
April 1882 the 10 year bill was given t.
us more as an experiment than anything
else and it has proved failure.
There is at last for us prospect of re
lief in the bill which Mr.. Scott, of Penn
sylvania, has introduced into ths
House with the advice and support
of President Cleveland. By this meas.
ure no Chinese laborer who leaves this
country can ever return and that loop.
hole will be closed against them.
We are now on the eve of great elec.
ton, and are preparing our votes with
that cool, deliberate judgement which
becomes those whose opinions are free.
hO 4uOotlOD III yOu oil W ul6CuS6 Will
yourselves is whether you can as citizens
of California, who must come into con-
tact and competition with these hordes
of aliens, cast your vote for President for
one of those same Republican Senators
who voted with unfailing regularity to
let them in? Can you do it; will you do
it? (Cries of No! No! Down with him y
1t is our duty at this time to show by our
votes that we are and always have been
in earnest upon this great question, and
by this means to call upon Congress to
protect us from the worst form of oppres-
sion which can come to people, the op-
preston of their laboring classes.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Del Valle's re-
marks the Chairman, Major Arbuckle,
introduced
COL. j. J. AYERS,
Who said: The last time 1 had the
audience was from the steps of the Courl
House, ten years ago. l was at thai
time candidate for Congress from this
district. 1t was at time Of sore trouble
and distress for this State, when we were
turning to the central Government in the
hope that something might be done fol-
our relief only to receive new rebuffs
only to meet fresh disappointments.
eince the Chinese first entered the
State to take possession of the various
fields of labor, the true citizens of Cali
fornia have appreciated the danger and
have plainly shown their feelings. When
in 1852 the Legislature proposed to pass a
Coolie contract law to enable capitalists
to flood the mines with servile labor, q
universal voice went up from the miners
of the State: eff you pass that law we
will come to Sacramento and hang you
higher than Haymsn!" They didn't
pass it.
When the Cinnamon first appeared
among us their presence was not much
felt. The times were prosperous, the
earth still teeming with the golden riches
which nature had placed there. and
which man as yet had left untouched
But gradually as the population became
thicker, and cities grew up, the terrible
evil of the Chinese invasion their inter
ference with our institutions and oul
labor, and their heretofore unknown
vices began to show their effects among
us. At first they entered only the EN-.
ployments that we're unskilled; but in
1859 they had found their way into the
cigar manufacture. They could live up
on what white men would starve upon,
and soon there was not trade that did
not feel the terrible effect of their compe-
tition. They were coming at the rate of
from 1000 to 1000 week from China
and Australia. California was becoming
the dumping ground for the Chinese en-
pire. At first we believed that the State
had the power, under that underlined
prerogative of police powers.
to prevent further inroads.
and laws were repeatedly passed by
the legislature only to be found unconsti'
tutional. At last, when ruin stared us
in the face, when want was everywhere
and hunger stalked abroad, by a grand
upheaval of public sentiment, a State
Constitutional Convention was called to
adopt new Constitution. l had the
honor of seat in that body. Into that
document we put my own vote assisting,
an article excluding the Chinese, al.
though we knew very we'll that it could
operate only as a protest against this
overwhelming evil. At that time and
when the bills were introduced
into Congress, which Harrison
helped to defeat, the sentiment
of the State was completely unanimous
1t has been long trial, long dark
night, but Cleveland's administration
will bring US into the full light OF day.
Do not suppose that Mr.. Sherman or Mr..
Ingalls, would care to see that bill passed
if they could save their candidate from
disgrace. They know that they must
vote for something that will benefit the
people and make some showing, or they
will fall, like Lucifer, never to rise again.
My fellow citizens, from this State, in
time to come, will be given the brightest
lights of the United States. We have
already established universities and such
establishments that make it shine as the
precursor of the brightest minds
Of the future, and we canno
but produce men that will adorr
the highest places in the commonwealth
We have in our magnificent common
wealth an empire in itself, not only al
regards agriculture but we have minera
treasures and everything that can make
a country great and powerful. When
told you that we had been set back fifty
years by the Chinese invasion, 1 meant it
forI believe that had the Mongolian horde
not intruded we would have had three
millions population instead OF the one
and a quarter of the present time. Blu
we are about to make new departure
and with the passage of this bill we will
enter the lists with the othe
States and have equal chance
with one and all. 1 wish 1 could liv,
to gee the wondrous changes that are