The Hawaiian gazette., 1888-09-11

ueal Vi QlSCuSSlOl III JllS phpeTo, III tile
Legislature and on the streets, during
the last three months, on the Chinese
question, but in all these discussions
there has been but little said in favor OF
the Cinnamon. The cry has been started
that "the Chinese must 60, and the
public have taken up the cry.
The committee of the Legislature on
the Chinese question requested many OF
the citizens to appear before them to ex-
press their views on the subject, and it
was noticeable that the views of all those
who were opposed to the Chinese were
published in the papers, while the few
who were not opposed to them were not
mentioned by any Of the papers, and it
was very evident that the members OF
the committee were altogether in sym
pathy with the anti-Chinese movement.
/ believe firmly in the doctrine THAT
all men are born free and equal, and l
cannot see why Chinaman has not as
much right to come to this country as
any other foreigner.
/ see by the report Of the Chief JUS
tice that out of 6. 1929 convictions during
the last biennial period, 1888 were Chi
nese. OF this number the following is
list of the principal convictions:
Assault and battery. ....--........ III
Gambling. ------..... Z0O
Opium, possession OF ...........-.. 5oI
Sunday law breaking ......-.-.,....... 15S
1t is generally believed that the Chi
nese are watched very closely for gam
bling, and if the police did their duty
many more arrests would be made than
are made among white foreigners for
this offense. For the crime OF adultery
only9 convictions were made OF Chinese,
and for drunkenness only %.
One objection to the Chinese is, that
they save up their money and take it
back to China with them. Why should
they not do this? They earn their
money and ought to be allowed to do
with it as they please. The Chinese who
go away take with them from $500 to
$1,000. How many Americans, English
men and Germans have come to this
country as poor as any Chinaman ever
did, and have gone away taking their
hundreds of thousands with them
There are many foreigners living on
these Islands now, who are sending
away large sums of money by every mail
to be invested in the United States and
elsewhere l heard of a lady who very
lately took away nearly 100000 of the
money her husband made in this coun-
try, and a gentleman who has made
large sums has withdrawn a large part
of his money TO invest East. Ii these
people left their money in this country to
be invested the result would be re-
duction in the rate of interest, which
would induce new industries to be
started, which would revive business,
furnish employment for a large number
of mechanics, and this would soon put a
stop to this anti-Chinese cry.
What good have Chinese done in this
country?
Well, in the first place, they have
proved to be good laborers as rule-they
give an honest days work for days
pay. A manager OF one of our planta-
tions lately told me that he had very
many Chinese gentlemen working as
field hands on his plantation, he had
less trouble with them than with any
other class of laborers on the place, and
they did their duty like men.
Then they have supplied most Of our
European residents with cooks, stew
ards, ,washmen and general servants at a
low rate of wages, and the wives of a
reason of this cheap labor, saved
the wear and tear of kitchen work,
which otherwise they would have been
Obliged to perform. The very men who
are on the anti-Chinese committee en-
ploy Chinese cooks, which to me is very
inconsistent / employed one OF our
townspeople short time ago to build a
building. He employed Chinaman to
h. oa1lar hE1. no 10 mt nj
Chinese.
The Chinese have been a great benefit
to landholders. They have taken lands
almost valueless and by hard work have
improved them SO that they are now
bringing in rentals from $40 to $50 per
acre per annum. This surely is bene-
fit to the country at large.
One complaint is that the Chinese
storekeepers ruin the business OF other
foreigners. This to a certain extent
may be true, but who is very largely to
blame for this? l answer the importers
and jobbers. give an illustration. A
cook in a family has wages say at &c q
week. BY economy, he in due time
saves I'D $500. He is anxious to inn
prove his condition, worthy ambition,
and decides to keep store, rather than
SI20O over q uOI SUONC LAOob Va VIC 10Y
He goes to our wholesale establish
ments, buys at FIVE different places his
$500 worth of goods, pays cash; q rival
importer sees Mr. IS handcart going
up town with lot of goods, finds out
the new man. interviews him and gives
him credit; another and another do the
same thing and in few months the late
cook, fattered by these large dealers,
owes not less than 5000. Who is to
blame? Most decidedly those importers,
for the goods are almost forced upon
the man doing the small business. Stop
the credit system, and the Chinese
storekeepers will soon be regulated.
l wish here and now to put myself on
record as being against this constitu-
tional amendment now before the Leg
islature. / think it perilously wrong,
and if it pass we shall all see the time
we will regret it. am of the opinion
that the Board of Immigration can regu-
late the Chinese by insisting that China
men coming into this country shall be
accompanied by their wives; and that
the Minister of Finance with the assist
ance of the tax assessors, together with
the help of some of the most intelligent
Chinese, can arrange some method by