The herald., 1893-09-10
FROM THE CAHUENGA FARMERS
A Dignified, Logical Statement
Of Their Policy.
Their Action Regarding the Chinese
Deportation Outlined.
The Structures on Their Conduct Pub
lishsd in = Contemporary Replied
to with EHsct-Ths Acts OF
the Chinese In the Valley.

THE following communication. which
was signed "Ths Cshuenga Farmers"
was brought to the HERALD Office yester.
day by one Of the representative men of
that region. 1t is we'll worth reading:l
In its issue OF the 9Th inst. the Los
Angeles Times indulgss in some rather
severe structures on the conduct and
lawful and successful crusade against the
Chinese. Among other things the Times
says: "It does look like O rather small
piece Of business for free and independ-
ent white men to be engaged in, when
they seize upon these inoffensive and
industrious heathens, cast them into
jail and bundle them off to China for an
offense OF which most of them know
knothing, or would not have committed
had they not been induced to do 80 by
the authorities to whom they had been
accustomed to look for advice, and who
hold over them the power Of life and
death. II this law is to be enforced, why
not start in by arresting and deporting
few hundred Of those thugs and murder
ers known as highbinders ?"
We agree with the Times that the
highbinders should be deported, and we
may fairly ask, why did not the Times
and those who assume to entertain q
more kindly feeling than others for the
''inoffensive and industrious brethren"
see to 1t, long ago, that the law was put
In operation against the highbinders?
As to our own conduct 1t might be
sufficient to refer to the law (Which pro-
vides for the deportation Of Chinese
laborerB,) to the opinion of the United
States supreme court in the Fong Yue
Ting case (Which may be read with
profit by any sentimentalist, and to the
recent decisions of the honorable Judge
who presides over the United States
court in this district. However, 40 there
are many good people, especially among
our new comere," who may not be suf-
ficiently conversant with the circum-
stances Of the case to correctly judge our
actions, we think 1t proper ct this time
TO say few words by way Of explana-
tion.
To begin with, We may very properly
inquire whether . class Of people who
are under the absolute control Of Eau
thorities (the Chinese Six Companies)
who hold over them the power Of life
and death" are "inoffensive'' or not?
We believe there is no place for such
class under our flag. Their interests,
purposes and traditions are not in har.
mony with our Institutions. That they
are .'industrious" helps not the matter
ct all.
But TO proceed. Many years ago en-
tsrprising American citizens settled in
the brush and cactus along the Cahuen-
70 foothills, and finding the coil and
climate suitable, began to clear the
land and cultivate vegetables for the
winter markets. They sought out and
built up markets for their peculiar pro-
duce all over the cost and far to the
east. They invited others Of their class
to participate with them in building mp
shed nunssoHSn ssso%HSnlHcn;ty; lcny. All Thsy sssso-
They were glad !. to earn money,
not tor moneys sake, but
for what it brought them and
their families Of the necessities and COM
forts OF life; for the improvements it
enabled them to make ;and, not least
Of oil. because of pride in being free and
independent citizens of the greatest re-
public on earth.
Then came the Chinese blight. A
lew years ago these ''inoffensive and In.
dustrious heathen" appeared upon the
scene. They rented lerge tracts Of land
from absentee landlords. They worked
seven days in the week, while the white
man worked but six. Any sort Of old
ruin or shed answered their domiciliary
wants, and they lived most frugally;
while the white man must maintain q
decent home for his wife and babies,
and feed, clothe and educate them. In
fact, the Chinese were 90 industrious"
that tha0 haH 4 ao,~ ks< s>k - IL A.
vegetable business, which had been
built up by the white men. The Obi.
nese understood the situation, and fre-
qusntly said that the white man mnst
eventually 60.
The latter tried to save themselves by
raising better vegetables than the Chi
nese; they used greater care in packing
them for shipment; they sought new
markets. But the Chinese initiated and
followed them everywhere.
tective league was formed ITO lid the
valley Of Chinese" /" II possible.
1t was known that the Chinese hsd
deiied the law by refusing to obtain Ger.
tihoateB OF registration, as required bv
the Geary act. and were therefore un-
lawfully in the country. It was also
known that the department of the gov
ernment charged with the execution of
the laws had determined to prevent it's
enforcement.
1t was known that every attempt, 80
far made to put the law in operation
had failed. 1t was known that the ad-
minietration had stated that there were
no funds to carry out the provisions OF
the Law. It was known that nobody
hoped for or expected that anything
would or could be done to dsport
Chinese, under the sixth section OF the
Gsary law, until further action by con-
gress.
Yet In spite of all this the Cahuenga
farmers determined that something
could and must be done, and they ap-
pointed q committee to do 1t.
No personal or individual sentiment
influenced us in our purpose, and no
fear Of threatened retaliation swayed US
from our course. We had no desire to
persecute anybody and went no further
than circumstances seemed to require
for the accomplishment of our object.
The Chinese had always been fairly
treated by our people, neither they nor
their crops had ever been molested in
any wny. We gave them fair warning
of our intention, and, though we may
regret the personal Inconvenience which
some OF them may have suffered, we
feel entirely justified in our course NOR
ally. socially and politically. We be-
lieve our plan better one than that At
tempted to be carried out at other
places, and congratulate ourselves that
4 Il 4 ~ 4