The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-08-07
THE POLITICAL FIELD.
What Is Going On Throughout
the Country.
Political Conventions in the Different States,
National and State Contests-An Inter
esting Collection of News.

Los Angeles, Cal, August 4-To say
that the nomination of General Har-
rison dsmayed the republicans of the Pacific
coast would be putting it altogether too
| mildly. They were not only dismayed but
enraged when the news arrived, and the It'd
ings of a great national democratic victory
! could not have cast a greater gloom over the
various headquarters OF the party in this city,
| Two candidates before the Chicago convention
were especially obnoxious to the people of the
| Pacific coast One was John Sherman, the
other Benjamin Harrison. 1t is needless to say
that the chief objection to the latter was, and
is now, that he is really the candidate, his pro-
Chinese record. 1t should be understood that
for the past fifteen years there has not been any
important difference of opinion among the peo-
pie Of California on this Chinese question.
Democrats and republicans, rich and poor, re-
ligious and irreligious- all have agreed on the
main point, that the Chinese should be ex-
Guided. This unanimity of opinion was eX-
hibited nearly two years ago when vote was
taken to show the popular sentiment ON the
exclusion of the Chinese. Out of a total vote
of 10000, less than 800 favored the admission
of the Chinese. No party in this state would
dare to place on their ticket a man who en-
ployed Chinese III any capacity-much less one
who had at any time in his career pronounced
in favor of them. Such candidate would be
overwhelmingly beaten. The objection to the
Chinese is not altogether that they labor
cheaper than white men. 1t is due more to
the knowledge gained by experience, that
every coolie here, who may live on ten cents
day, sleep in bunk with fifty other Cinnamon
in a room II by IA, and who does absolutely
nothing to build up and improve the cOmmu-
nifty i'll which he lives supplants a white man
with family, every member OF which adds
to the general wealth and welfare of the town
or village in which they live. Coolies do not
contribute one cent to American schools or
churches. They pay no taxes worth mention
tng they procure nearly all their supplies
from China, ana the jails, prisons, almshouses
and lunatic asylums OF the Pacific coast
are full of them-a heavy burden for the
Taxpayers. Five times the Chinese
steamers have brought the germs of smallpox
to San Francisco to spread from that city over
the coast and desOlate hundreds Of homes.
There is not single city Of importance on the
coast which has not from time to time one or
more Chinest lepers to be cared for at the pub
lie expense; for when q Chnaman is seized
with leprosy his companions Immediately
abandon him to his fate. Chinese opium dens
have enticed hundreds of foolish boys to con-
tract a habit which is thousand times more
difficult to refrain from than drunkenness, and
Chinese gamblers and lottery dens cause
the authorities constant trouble. Wher-
ever the Chinaman settles in the town
or village there civilization seems to van
ish. A building once taken by Chinaman
never has another class of tenants. A street
the white occupants, and becomes in short
time full of tumble down buildings, from
which the fouest odors issue. No sanitary
laws are regarded by the Chinese The dens
which they occupy are often i'll too vile a con-
ditiOn to describe. 1t is, indeed, sad and hui
initiating to think that within the past few
years so-called American Statesmen" have
voted against bills to prevent this foul brood
of Asia from coming into competition with
the American workingman and his humble,
clean npaS1nt EOmA.
For years the people of California have
struggled against this yellow curse, and today.
in spite of the restriction law, thanksto repub-
lican federal judges, the Cinnamon are pour
ing faster than ever before into the state.
Is it any wonder, in view of these circum
stances, that the republicans have little hope
of carrying this state for benjamin Harrison?
With the facts before him in the senate of the
United States, and petition after petition for
relief from the suffering white people of the
coast, he deliberately voted fourteen times to
perpetuate the system of Asiatic slavery,
which has been such curse to California. For
his course in this matter he will lose the state
by one of the most tremendous majorities ever
rolled up againt political candidate. The
people of California HAYS been tritled with too
long, and they do not propose to assist in plac-
ing at the helm man whom they justly re-
gard as an enemy
Some of the republican newspapers are
pleading the ''baby act'' for General Harrison,
and are saying he did not understand the
Chinese question when he voted against the
anti Chinese bills 1t will be hard to force
that statement down the Threats of the people
here. Every bill that has been before congress
for the restriction of the Chinese has been ae-
companied by petitions from boards of trade,
leading business men, clergymen, working
mems societies, from fathers and mothers, and
every class of people on the coast, begging
that tho wishes of three sovereign states be re-
spected and the Chinese shut out. But Sena-
tors Harrison. Sherman. Hoar and others of
the same character,i preferred rather
to believe the emissaries of the six
Asiatic slave comprehensive same men who
are now committing perjury daily on colos-
sal scale for the purpose of admitting thousands
of their countrymen who have no legal right
to land here.
California, by the nomination of Harrison,
was takcn out OF the list of doubtful States
and may henceforth be placed in the demo-
cratic column. California will not forget those
days when she was pleading for help from the
national government, and how her petitions
were scornfully treated by Benjamin Harrison
The democracy is organizing everywhere, and
| il the east does as well as the Pacific coast
| Cleveland and Thurman will carry every
| doubtful state.