Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-11
CHINESE IMMIGRATION.
Mr.. Hilborn, of Oalifornia, Makes Striking
and Able Argument.
He Considers the Celestial q Menace
to Our Civflfsation-Compe
From q 6-Oents-a-Day Race.

Mr.. Hilborn OF California made his
maiden speech In the House today 1t was
strong and able exposition of the Pacific
coast side Of the Chinese immigration oues-
ton. Mr.. Hilborn possesses an excellent
voice and presence. and his effort was lis
tened to with close attention. In substance
Mr.. Hilborn said:
We frequently hear 1t said In the discus
sion OF the Chinese question, but always
among the uniformed, that the dignity OF
this great nation ought not to be lowered
and that its traditional policy should not
be changed to please a few ''hoodlums"
and "sandlotters' In California. This ex-
preston implies that opposition to Chinese
immigration is confined to a class. and that
class a disreputable one. in the states Dor
dering on the Pacific ocean. i ind the i'm
preston abroad that the advocates Of Chi
nese restriction are to be found only among
the vicious. unlettered foreign elements Of
our society. Those who entertain this
opinion are greatly mistaken. The people
OF the state OF California are practically
| unanimous In opposition 20 this class of
emigration. We have ceased to discuss the
policy OF Chinese restriction among our
selves; with us the case is closed. This is
not new conclusion. In order to settle all
doubts as TO the opinions Of our people upon
this question the popular vote was had, and
that vote is recorded. The provisions Of
and the result OF the same at the general
election of that year are set forth in a
statement made by the governor, re-
quired by the same law. The statement
| shows that the legislature of California
passed an act, approved December q, 1871,
which provided for the submission to the
electors OF the state at the next general
election the question Of the continuance or
prohibition Of Chinese immigration. This
question was submitted to the voters Of
| the state. in pursuance of the act above
| mentioned, at the general election held on
the Sd day of September, 1879.
At said general election there were chosen
all state and county officers and members
of the United States House of Represen-
tatives- The total vote cast at such cleo
| ton was 161 406 votes, which is several
thousand more than the votes cast at any
previous election in the state. II In prob
able, therefore. that the vote was as nearly
full as it would be possible. under any cir
cumstances, to secure. The vote was:
For Chinese immigration. $50
Against Chinese immigration. ...--... 154. sss
Voters who did not express any wish
on Tb .ne n,'s,o, &c., ;s;. ,; e,sss
cludes the statement, is unavoidable, to
| wit: that the citizens of the state are SUBJ
| santially unanimous against the contin-
uance Of Chinese immigration"
There has been no change OF sentiment
among the people Of California since that
vote was taken. The evils resulting from
| this undesirable immigration are more thor
ever
and If a vote was now taken, in my opin-
ion, the majority would be still greater.
There Is not q newspaper published in the
state OF California which favors Chinese
what is true of California is also true of
| Oregon, Washington and Nevada The op-
position to this undesirable immigration
is confined to no political party and to no
The Old Civilization.
This Is not now. and never has been, a
contest between different races or national
| tiles. 1t is something broader and higher
than that. 1t is a contest between two
civilizations, the oriental civilization Of ii
| can be called a civilization and our own.
One was hoary with age before the English
language was spoken on the face OF the
| earth. A civilization which eliminated be-
fore our western civilization began. A civil
ization of want and CALLING poverty. Under
such a civilization the Chinese race has been
developed. With them, from the cradle to the
grave, II is a hand to hand struggle with
starvation, and fortunate are they who die
| of old age. They inhabit q country whose
resources are taxed to the utmost to support
the population. When the products of a
district fall off the population must diminish
accordingly. These hard conditions have
produced a race of people whose serious
faces are seldom lighted with a smile. They
being can live and labor on cents q day.
That a little rice, fish and vegetables will
sustain life. Their dress is the perfection of
economy. and has not changed for centuries.
This civilization of the orient, so equipped
| with these enforced economies. came across
the Pacific and came into contact with our
western civilization, a civilization of COM
fort and plenty-a civiliza ton which means
the family, the home and home circle. the
hearthstone, the public school, the Sunday
| school and the church. i believe God likes
this civilization Of ours. for IL does not stihe
or repress, but brings out of the human
being all that is good in him. but our civil
| ization is expensive. 1t costs money 10
maintain 1t. Our laborers cannot live and
support families and educate their children
on the wages which satisfy the Chinaman.
The conditions are different. The one is
discharging his duties as a citizen. the other
has no family and assumes none of the
duties of citizenship. The Chinese are not
available as turymen; cannot be called upon
| as a posse comitatus TO preserve order nor
| be relied upon as soldiers. i believe IL to be
borer must perish from the face of the earth
or the Chinese laborer must be excluded.
A Huge Population.
China has a population Of 100000. 600. and
we have 65.O0O.OO0 This great reservoir
of humanity is just beyond our western bor-
der. and only a peaceful ocean between US.
For less than $40 per capita every individual
| in China could be transported to American
soil. Every one Of this vast collection of
human beings could come from Hong Kong
| to San Francisco with as little expense and
danger as that attending a passage from
Omaho 10 Washington. They could over
| run us like an army of locusts. They could
duplicate our population and the absentees
would scarcely be missed In their own coun-
| try. China could spare a man to compete
| for the bread Of every American laborer
great hive Of humanity. The question may
be asked. why 1t is that the American