The morning call., 1890-12-08
VISITING CONGRESSMAN
They Make Sunday Pleasure
Trip on the Bay.

The subcommittee of the Joint Congress
slonal immigration and Naturalization Com
mittee, or at least the two members of that
committee remaining in this city, and their
numerous attaches, yesterday were the guests
of Timothy Guy Phelps, Collector of the
Port OF San Francisco, who escorted them
to Clay-street Wharf. There they embarked
on the tug Governor Perkins and steamed
out over the waters of the bay, placid as a
mill-pond without ducks.
Collector Phelps was never happier in his
life as the little craft, loaded down almost to
the waters level with human freight
SKINNED past the Preside, Sausalito, Alca-
traZ, Angel Island, and in fact every ancient
Tort and military post that frowns down
upon the bay. He pointed out all the places
Of interest, as others have done thousands
or times, ana some time after noon
the tug reached Mare Island. where the
whole party was met by Rear-Admiral
Belknap, the commandant, and escorted
through the various yards and shops con-
nect' with the navy-yards The interest
ing histories OF very old and condemned YES
sells were related by the escorts for the bene-
lit OF the Eastern visitors. Representatives
Stump and Lehlbach asked many questions.
But as they were there merely on pleasure
and not business they were not compelled to
make their usual admonition to their steno-
grapher, clerk, ETC.. Don't take this down.
ON THE CHARLESTON.
After spending an hour on the cruiser
Charleston, the first war-ship built on the
Pacific Coast, the tourists re-embarked on
the Perkins and steamed away, arriving in
this city in the evening.
When the little committee meets at 10
O'Clock this morning it is said that Assist
ant Sergeant-at-Arms Reade will not be
able to produce the President of the Chinese
Six Companies, as he was to do day
As Consul Bee explained to the committee
last week IuHSn MonUula claim L,
nothing OF the practices Of the Chinese in
this country, and assert that they could give
no information that would assist the investi-
CATION. VIII the committee use forcible
means to make them appear and testify? is
question that was frequently asked last
evening
The committee received an interesting
deposition yesterday from S. b. Pettengill,
well-kn0wn editor of the State Of Wash
Ington, On the Chinese labor problem.
OF GRAVE IMPORTANCE.
1.-The Chinese question:" he saws, sis of
more importance to this country than its
htful agitation upon the Pacific Coast has
yet suggested. 1t involves the whole sub
lect of labor-0f cheap labor more particu-
larry, and of the control of labor. nominally
Tree; and no one can consider its possible
development without doubling whether our
American civilization Can be sustained upon
the basis Of such cheap labor as the Chinese
are able to furnish. Wher-
ever they nave 0verrun their national
boundaries they have fastened thems elves
AS parasites to the civilization which they
found, and lived upon the life-blOod of the
people who have harbored them. No pro-
vision has been made in our Government
Tor the presence OF an alien population.
The Chinese, in consequences of their long
hereditary training in poverty, are able to
live under conditions which admit of no
possibility of survival for the fit subjects Of
American citizenship. No class of laborerS
in this country can compete with them in
wages without suffering degree Of degra-
dalton whlchlS Incompatible with the duties
OF citizenship, If not Of morality and re-
ligion."
MANY GOOD REASONS.
Continuing, Editor Pettengill gives many
reasons for his assertions that the presence
OF Chinese in certain occupations is en-
couraged in the interests If capitalists; that
the Mongolians have retarded many manu-
featuring industries; that the services of
Chinese are not cheap at any price that the
labor OF this country must, to fulfill lis COM
plete junction, consume as well as produce;
that the ability Of Capitalists through their
control OF the trans portatlon system to rem
der the domicile of masses of the people in
secure, TO corner the necessaries of life, to
sustain prices by limiting production, makes
employment unequal and uncertain in the
centers of industry and subjects them TO
constant danger OF disturbance; that devel-
0pment of the cooperative power of capital
has already reached dangerous point; that
II capital were TO gain such valuable aux
iliary as China might furnish there is no
doubt that we should suffer all the ills
which Goldsmith pictured in a land where
wealth aecumulateS and men decay,"