Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-08-24
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CHINESE CHEAP LABOR,

| CdlN6-oE ChhAG LADOhI
Judge Thurman here MADE an argument
against the Treasury surplus, Ginning that
it is q great injury to the country, AND
quoting John Sherman to sustain his po'
sition. He continued:
NV friends, before / conclude want tc
ask your attention for a moment TO another
question, TO what il called the Chinese
question, the question of the importation
of Chinese into this country. Now, what
think upon that subject cannot DO better
expressed than by reading what / said to
my own constituents in Cincinnati, in the
year 1870, five years before the Legislature
of California memorislizsd Congress on the
subject of Chinese immigration. The ex-
tract from Judge Thurman's speech, de-
livered Sept. 10, 1870, at Cincinnati, was
then read to this audience, as follows:
81 do not think that large Chinese i'm
migration to this country is desirable. /
do not think it would be a valued acqui-
sition. On the contrary, think II would
be seriously disturbing element In race,
civilization, habits, education snd religion
the Chinese are widely different from our
people, 80 different a. to form a striking
contrast. The European immigrants are OF
the same race, religion and civilization as
ourselves, and while they add immensely
to the wealth and power OF the republic,
they do not seriously disturb the substan-
tial homogeniety of our white population.
Their migration, therefore, benefits the
country and deserves encouragement. Not
so with the Chinese, They will never be-
come one people with us. Were they to
dwell here for centuries they would prob
ably be as distinct from the white race as
are the Gipsies in Spain from the pure
blooded Spaniard.
1--WE are destined to have great com.
merce with Asia, and the natural result
will be the voluntary immigration from
that continent of limited number OF bust
ness men. see no objection to that. 1t
will not interfere with our mechanics or
laborers, will not disturb our social or po-
litical system, while it will tend By an in-
crease OF our commercial connections to
add TO our commerce and wealth. But
that il q wholly different thing from the
Coolie immigration thst is now going on,
and which if not stopped must alstmingly
increase. This immigration is IN no
proper sense of the word voluntary. 1t Is
kind of Chinese slave trade. Instead OF
an independent, self-reliant body of free
men it introduces herd of quasi slaves
working at half wages by command OF
task master And this leads me to state
ment that have seen that this country
needs cheap labor. In other words, men
who will work for low wages; that there is
scarcity of lsborers here, and therefore
Chinese labnrers should be imported to
supply the deficiency. | do not concur in
this view. Applause.
REDUNDANCY OF POPULATION.
'My opinion is that we, or rather our
posterity, are much more likely to suffer
from redundancy Of population than
| from dearth of it. In thirty years from
now we will have 100, 1000, 600 Of people,
without counting Chinese immigrant; in
so years 100000, 900; in 100 years prob
ably 400, 600, COO We are in no danger of
a scarcity of labOrers in this country. Nor
do / think that low wages is blessing
to any country Renewed applause.
In the opinion of an eminent
thinker, Buckle, low wages and
despotism are inseparable, 1t will he
found, / think, that the freer the institu-
lions Of "a country are the greater will be
the tendency to fair wages for laborers.
Low wages are mainly owing TO an I'M
equal and unfair distribution Of the an
! nual production of wealth. This annual
production, which is one of the results of
labor, il being constantly divided into
four parts; rents to the landlord, interest
to the money lenders, profits to the bust
ness man, and wages 10 the laborer.
Now, if the wages be low, it must be
because the annual product is small and
all classes suffer, or because the produce is
unfairly distributed. In general, the lat
ter is the case, and when wages are very
low the laborer gets but bare subsistence,
while the other class, or some of them,
accumulate enormous wealth. And thus
society becomes divided into the
very rich and the very poor. That this is
AN unfortunate condition for the country
is too obvious to need remark. And that
this tendency is peculiar 10 free instItu-
tions, as we'll as the material comfort OF the
people, is undoubtedly true. have,
therefore, no sympathy with the cry for
cheap labor and low wages. They may
give rise, it is true, to great public works
and magnificent structures, but the bene-
| ft is gained at the expense Of suffering
people. The pyramids are striking monu-
ments of the ostentation of the Egyptians,
bat they are more striking evidences of q
degraded condition of the lsboring classes.
That country is likely to he the most free
and happy where the annual production Of
wealth being justly distributed, labor OBJ
tains a fair reward" Applause
These, my friends, were my opinions Is
years ago, and every day has served to YER
ify their correctness. They are my opin-
ions to-day, and have no doubt will be as
long ~ l have life. Great applause.
If know myself, there is no man on the
top of this earth who has more sympathy
for the lsboring men or the man Of humble
condition than have, Prolonged ap-
plause, and whatever could do to better
their condition l would do. More ap.
plause And it is because do not believe
for one moment that this high protective
tariff, which ia 30 much Landed, and which
is insisted upon by our political opponents
is for the benefit of the laboring man.
That is one of tho reasons whv | am op-
posed to such onerous duties. Continued
applause.
| DECAY OF COMMERCE.
have shown you that under this high
protective tariff the agricultural interests
of the country have fallen off enormously,
that the value of farms has increased dur
ing the decade from 1870 to 1880 at the
rate of only per cent, ~ compared with
100 per cent during a period when there
was low tariff Gentlemen, if you will
look at the commerce of the country you
will find something even more striking
than that. The day was, and not great
while ago, when there were two countries
that substantially did the commerce Of
the world. that is, carried the trade of the
world. These were Great Britain and the
United States, and We were gaining so fast
upon Great Britain that We carried be-
tween 20 and 80 per cent, if my MEN,
Dry
A voice-Ejghty-t three per cent.
Judge Thurman-Etghty three per cent,
my friend says behind me, of the carrying
freight of the world, whereas now we carry,
if my memory is not st fault, only about
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