Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-05-12
COOLIES on PUBLIC CORPORATION.


There are in the Northwest Pacific
coast states SO ,e44 Chinese according 10
the last census. Oregon has 9,540 Chi.
nese. There are possibly thousand OF
the various MongoIian mixtures with
ses-Islanders, digger Indians and 81
wash tribes. OF these ten thousand
and over there are not over one pei
cent. women and still fewer children.
or schools, churches, family life or any
other evidences Of tangible civilized
citizenship there Is absolutely nothing
They are q positive alien non-assimi
liability 30 tar as they can be considered
an element Of population.
Yet they are an important factor IN
the lsoor and wage fund. As 1t Ii well
known when the Pacific railroads wer
built MongoIian labor was largely en-
ployed. MongoliaD coolies monopoliz'
all the present grading, track laying,
repair work, culvert building, bridge
work and section work. Two Chimes,
coolies are employed on every mile OF
Pacific railroad as section men. Il
Oregon four or five thousand are EN-
ployed. II IL safe to estimate thai
out OF aIl the Chinese In the North
west Pacific states one third or thirty
thousand are employed on the Pacifi'
railroads which are public corporations.
In other words, these public post and
military highways, created and exist.
Ing by the ballots Of American citizen
voters, carrying the government mails
and built out of our country's public
lands pay out 80, O0O. 900 year of their
revenues earned from American people,
In wages to these alien coolies with
whom American citizenship Is an Inn
possibility.
They get this labor at $1.O0 day al
the highest figure. White labor would
not work for less than Sl.50 or 50 90 u
day. This wage fund that is paid these
asiatics, who deport the bulk of their
earnings TO China, would amount to
from yi3, 500, 900 to SIS, 900, 900 year. II
paid as 1t ought TO be to naturalized
American citizens, voters who create
these corporations, whose travel and
trafiic support them, aud who pay
taxes, go to war, rear families, sustain
schools and support churches.
No newspaper, public man or any au-
thority whatsoever can deny the pro
position that a public corporation owing
its existence to this government and IN
the service of this government should
be manned In any part Of It's service by
allen labor. These coolies should be-
displaced on the railroad companies'
pay rolls aud white men get their places
or at least naturalized American citiz
ems whose ballots uphold American IN.
stitutions and whose earnings support
American homes. II this were done
American workingmen would not be
idle In these young, r'ch and undevel-
oped states a. they now are; their fam.
lilies would not be In want; and the
money Of country would be spent IN
maintaining the high standards of
American civilized life, instead Of de-
grading our workingmen, forcing their
families into destItution, and sending
our money abroad, and oil for what
purpose? To enrich men In control OF
these corporations who are already
multi-millionaires.
A law should be passed by this state
forbIdding any corporation or private
citizen, having to render public SER
Woe. for the people or the government,
from employing any but American cit
izens or those who can become such. |
There is no more justice in their en-.
ploying $4,000 coolies In keeping their
roadbeds In order than there 10 Ia hav.
ing them run the engines or man the
mall cars. II they are to remain In the
country let them grub land, perform
The lower grades Of menial labor. or
anything they please but keep them
put Of all branches Of the government
'srvics or the public service as above
Indicated.