The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-23
NO USE FOR JOHN.
Mr.. Wanamaker's Trip to
Chinatown.
HIS KEEN REMARKS THEREON.
lie Does Not Think That MongoIians
Should Be Allowed to Compete
With White Men.

During the few days he has been among
us, Mr.. Wanamaker has made two trips to
Chinatown, and, as is his custom, has OBJ
served closely.
In conversation with CALL reporter yes
terday Mr.. Wanamaker mentioned the Chi
nese question, and made a few strong re-
marks concerning the invading Celestals.
When l was here two years ago." said
he, II went through the Chinese quarter,
but owing to the heavy demands upon my
time then, was unable to inquire into the
habits and customs quite so thoroughly as |
should wish. Now that am a little more
at leisure, have been spending some time
and thought upon your SHOW place and
plague spot, Chinatown.
ut seems TO me a curious thing, and de-
piorable fact, that there should be a city of
10000 or more heather, right inside, but not
of, the metropolis CT the Pacific Coast.
There are the teeming thousands Of Chinese
living in your midst, but remaining total
foreigners just the same. They retain their
own habits, cling TO their own customs Of
filthy. unhealthy and immoral living They
are crowded and jammed In sweltering
mass right among you, a constant menace
to the health of the city.
They do not make good citizens, is in
stanced by their recent warlike outbreaks,
Ill open defiance of ali law and order.
II is great shame that such thing
should ever have been allowed TO take root.
much more grow TO such proportions as
to be scarcely manageable.
But even this is not exactly an unmiXed
evil, for 1t Is in measure prOvidentiaL 1t
teaches lesson, or should, if the minds
of the people are as open TO intelligent con-
yiction as l take them 10 be.
1T shows the absolute necessity for q
strong protection.
That is where the Chinese question hits
us hardest, especially the laboring and man
ufacuring classes. who represent the real
backbone OF the country.
TO be inflicted with the mere presence
Of the undesirable heather, with their
pagan religion, their nasty habits AID their
immoral influences, is bad enough, but when
| their presence means competition with the
| American workingman, resulting in lack of
employment and an empty stomach, it is
| time that decided action was taken.
lie Chlnese compete successfully with
| the white man at every turn. John will
work for half the wages because he can live
| at one-eighth OF the expense. He can herd
| with his fellows in the crowded tenements
! OF Chinatown and buy ali the food he wants
| for almost nothing The balance of his
| earnings he boards mp, against the longed-
| Tor day when he shall return to his native
! land, taking our good gold with him. His
| money seldom gets into circulation, or does
| any good to the country were he earns it,
and which Is daily suffering more by his
! presence.
| "Our present protective laws do not co pc
| with the evil We can charge duty on goods
made abe and SO regulate or restrict the
| lmp0rtatlons But the Chinese have come
| here themselves and competed with US upon
| our own ground. Instead OF importing the
| foreign goods Tree we have been importing
| the foreigner and allowing him to manufac-
| ture his goods in oar midst instead of pvar
| the water; but the result as far as our work
| lngmau Is concerned is just as disastrous.
What matters il whether pair of boots
| we wear IS made In Germany by the poorly
! PAID shoemaker or Is the work of one of the
Chinese OF San Francisco? The America
! workman suffers just the same.
| 80, say protect the country against the
| foreign cheap labnrer as we'll as against the
| foreign labor. Whether the work is per-
| formed here or abroad makes no difference
Now, the day must come when San
FRANCISCO VIII have 10 manufacture to sup
| polt herself There must be some output
| something produced. The people cannot
always be all SIOTekeepers. | should like
! to see the Southern Pacific Railway raise
| Its rates even to twice the present amount
ana thus help TO force San Francisco to
manufacture for herself and be indepen d =
ent of the East. This is where the future
prosperity must lie, and where the Chinese
problem viii come into play, Tor when this
city becomes a producing center there will
have 10 be large laboring population, and
II rests with the people whether that be
Caucas sian or Monaghan"