Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-04
ANOTHER VIEW OF THE MATTER.

Now that the Chinese are to be ex-
cluded from competition with American,
labor upon american soil, the question
very naturally arises of what avail will it
be to exclude the Chinese themselves With
out also protecting American industries
from unequal competition with cheap Chi
nese labor upon Chinese soil?
The fact is, that it would really be better
for American labor that the Chinese COM
petitor were upon American soil, where to
some extent he could be controlled, than
to have the barriers removed between the
products of labor in China and those of
American labor.
The drift of the policy of the Demo-
cratic party, disguise it as it may, is to re-
move tariff obstacles to the Introduction
of foreign products that otherwise come
ihto unfair competition with those of
American labor or growth.
Now let the party be consistent. 1t has
declared with the Republican party that
American labor of right ought to be, and
By virtue of the authority of the Govern
ment of the United States, shall be pro-
tected from the degrading, demoralizing
and ruinous competitive influence of the
Chinese laborer or artisan in America. If
that declaration is good for anything at
all, if it has one particle of virtue, and
has for basis a principle worthy to be
commended, then its application cannot
be restrained by the bounds of territory.
1t is as far reaching as are the effects of
human industry-it is as beundless in its
operation as the habitations of man.
There is no getting away from the con-
clusion that if the principle is good ap-
piled to the Chinaman here, it is just as
applicable to the Chinaman when a few
thousand miles away.
Let US suppose the Government TO be
consenting to the unrestricted coming in of
the Chinaman to American soil, and privi-
legged to engage in the manufacture of
articles which they make so cheaply
that the American worker cannot produce
the same articles in competition with them
without descending to the level of the
Chinese method of living or existence
Against such a condition the United States
Government has pronounced decree of
banishment, and there was in that decree
neither partisanship nor party policy. 1t
is protective order; a mandate that
raises up barrier against assault upon
the independence and civilization of the
producing classes of America.
Let us now fancy this same Govern
ment, after having driven the unwhoIe-
some manufacturing and ,laboring ele-
ment beyond its bounds, saying to it.:
You have been excluded from our
territory because your competition
was destructive of the best interests
of American laborers and producers. But
we do not object to, nay, we'solicit you to
manufacture upon other soil-be it Chi
nese, Mexican, Peruvian, British Amer
lean, English Possession, or any other, and
send in the product of your cheap labor
to US to compete freely, as before, with the
products of the 1auur for whose protection
We excluded you"
The demand of the nation to-day is that
the pauper labor of Europe shall be ex-
cluded from America, and that contracts
to bring it in shall not be permitted We
are already supplementing existing laws
upon this subject by enactments intended
to exclude utterly the scum of European
civilization, and to prevent its injection
into the labor system of the United States,
or the thrusting of this element upon
the people, to be maintained by their tax
alton. Shall we, thus shutting out unde-
sirable elements, at the same time admit
the products of such labor as may engage
them If the principle of protecting the
American workers against the unfair COM
petition Of the Chinese cheap 1aborer upon
American-soil is wise, why is it not equally
as wise to. protect the American worker
against any other like competitive infu-
ences in production, regardless of the local
ity of their source?
The subject grows under consideration :;
il expands and rises in rebuke to the dis
position of tie Democratic party, as man
ifest in its present tariff policy. to ae.let
down the bars"