The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-07
TRADE WITH CHINA.
Report Upon 1t of a Committee
Specially Appointed
BY THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
OF New York-Effect Of the Exclusion Act
The Celestials viii Bide Their OPP
porUunity for Retaliation.

~NSSN~~~-N-O-'
Especial to THE HERALD-Examiner Dispatch
NEW YORK, Dec. Ga committee of the
New York chamber of commerce has made
lengthy report upon our trade relations
with China. After quoting various opin-
ions upon the Chinese exclusion act of
October, 1885, the report continues:
with these expressions of opinion as to the
/, effect of the act and its policy as an introduc-
Zion, we now proceed" says the committee, Ito
Z give as briefly as possible record of events
that have led up TO the present condition of our
relations with the Chinese and the passage OF
the act referred 10 in its present form, in the
autumn OF 1885,
Much of this resume is irrevelant and official
correspondence which is neither new nor interest
ing. The Burlingame treaty is applauded. The
words OF Senator Morton hailing Mr.. Burling-
anne as bsnefactor Of his country are quoted
with approval. II is at this point that the COM
mittee become more specific. ut is essential
to observe that at the time of the approval of
this treaty and its recognition as beneficial
act for this country the Chinese had been here
in great numbers for more than twenty years.
The record of their arrival as found in the re-
port of the joint special committee Of Congress,
in 1876 shows that the whole number OF Chinese
in the United States at that time was about one
hundred and fourteen thousand, and in Cali
fornia about ninety four thousand. An
other witness makes it about four thousand less.
at also appears that the largest arrivals were
in the years from 1913 to 1854. In that period
the arrivals were over fifty thousand and depar
lures about eight thousand leaving In the coun-
try at the beginning Of 1855 about forty-two
thousand, or nearly half the whole number in
California in 1876 twenty years later. In
1869 the number had reached about seventy
thousand, or threefourthS the number
found in California in 1876. 1t is there
fore obvious that the people of California and Of
the whole United States had had prior to the ap-
proval of the Burlingame treaty ample opportu-
nifty TO become familiar with the character of the
Chinese. Nevertheless the treaty was well
coined which protected them in this country and
encouraged their immigration.
'HThis reflection brings us to one of the most
remarkable changes of public sentiment on the
Pacific coast, which has probably ever char
acterized the people. The change was as sudden
vcss it was remarkable, and as universal il was
sudden. Almost Immediately after the con-
hrmation of the Burlingame treaty in 1869
murmurs began to be heard in California hostile
! TO the Chinese. AS early as December %, 1869,
an appeal was made to Congress for legislation
to restrict Chinese immigration. Each sue
cesStVe Congress was appealed to. but without
effect, until the Fortyfourth Congress- in 1876
appointed joint committee to take testimony
and passed joint resolution calling on the Presi-
dent to open negotiations with the Chinese gov
eminent for the purpose OF modifying the pro
visions of the treaty between the two countries
and restricting the same TO commercial purposes.
AT the same time the legislature of California
appointed special committee to investigate the
subject and prepare memorial to Congress-
1t was issued, August, 1877, as an dAdreSS 10 the
people of the United States upon the social
moral and political effect OF Chinese lmmlgra-
ton This address contains evidence to prove
that the Chinaman is factor hostile to the
prosperity, progress and civilization of the
American people,
'aThe report of the Joint committee of Con
gress, February. 1871, which fills large volume
of nearly thirteen hundred pages, contains
similar evidence in greater detail, showing the
unftnesS of the Chinese by their social and
moral characteristics, by their religion and by
their peculiar and apparently inerradicable de-
T1nATr two 0frrv Iao1
or alive, to form part Of our popula-
ton, to amalgamate or be absorbed
into it as other races have been
It points out the fact that they come here as
rule without wives or children, live apart from
other races, form attachment to the soil or to
our people, and by their lack of family relations
and children, present no facilities for association
with our people and no opportunities for grow
ing into the conditions or habits which would
tend to make them homogeneous with u.s. Fur
thermore, it was claimed by many witnesses
that the Chinese were a fostering mass of cor
ruption in the body polite, threatening TO de-
stroy the moral and physical health of the PEG
pie and that there were no other means of pre-
venting this result than for the government TO
Intervene and by some modification of the
.-Teaty with China check Chinese immigration.
f,fGvidence on the other side was no less com
plete showing the virtue, integrity, cleanliness,
industry, skill, peaceableneSs and, in general,
disturbances of the Chinese as an industrial
element of our population. II must be ac-
knowledged that the witnesses on this side OF
the case were, as rule of the highest personal
character, men of great intelligence, familiar,
by practical relations with the Chinese in var
men men who n'-i had learned ear the Character f
of the Chinese by long residence in China.
1t is also apparent that the conduct of the eX
animation was in spirit of bitter hostility TO
the Chinese and with a determination rather TO
prove a case against them than TO ascertain the
truth.
THE report as presented to Congress by SEN
ator Sargent of California representing ma
lority of the joint commit tee. is adverse to the
Chinese and recommends that immediate steps
be taken TO restrict the privileges granted by
treaty. On the other hand. Senator Oliver P.
Morton, chairman of the committee who heard
patiently all the testimony in fragmentary
paper intended basis for minority report
which was printed by order OF the Senate after
Mr.. MorJons death, took strong ground in favor
of maintaining the treaty. He says: The testi-
mony shows that the intellectual capacity of the
Chinese is fully equal to that of white people.
Their ability to acquire mechanical arts and to
initiate every process and form of workmanship
ranks very high, and was declared by many wit
neSSeS TO be about that OF white people, and
their general Intellectual power TO understand
and master any subject presented to the human
understanding, to be quite equal to that of any
other race.
Ibis conclusions are briefly embodied in the
following sentences: AS Americans charged
with the administration of the laws by which
equal rights and protection shall be extended TO
all races and conditions we cannot now safely
take new departure which, in another form,
shall resurrect and re-establish those odious
distinctions or race winch brought upon us the
late civil war, and from which we fondly hoped
Anat God in his providence had delivered us for
eRer. If the Chinese in California were white
people. being in all other respects what they
are, l do not believe that the complaints and
warfare against them would have existed to any
considerable extent. Their difference in color,
dress, manners and religion have, in my judg
ment, more to do with this hostility than their
alleged vices or any actual injury to the white
people of California. He further adds by way
of suggestion of remedy for their protection:
COmpipfa DrOtepTiOn he given them only nv
allowing them 10 become citizens and acquire
the rights of suffrage when their votes would
become important in elet tionS and their perse-
cutions in great part converted into kindly
solicitation
'sThen follows some more political history and
individual opinion. The vote of California
against Chinese immigration l54,63S to $40, and
that of Nevada, Il ,52s TO lS is recorded and the
majority of voters in both cases are charged
with prejudice and bigotry."
It is needless to say that the chamber, through
its committee, is made to regret more than once
the action Of both houses of Congress and the
President IN excluding Chinese. Nor is that
vote in California ever absent from their minds.
Perhaps the most eloquent intent of the com
mittee is the cutting passages in the following:
'But in the presense OF these convictions, repre-
Senting the sense of that part OF the American
people who have the best opportunity of know |
ing the effects OF Chinese immigration and who |
at an earlier day have expressed their views by |
an emphatic vote Of 800 for, and 254 0O0 against |
Chinese immigration, there can be no question |
as to the propriety of terminating that emigra |
ton so far as it may be offensive 10 the import
ant part of this nation which it most closely |
affects But with this Acknowledgement our |
approval of the ant1-Ch1nese measures of the |
Ate to express profound regret that it was |
-fcNnd eXpedient to abandon the ordinary and |
regular methods Of international negotiation TO |
secure desired results and to substitute for them
the arbitrary DEGREES Of legislation. Especially |
is this action of our government TO be regretted !
in view OF the friendly attitude of the Chinese !
Nfps,,