The Washington times., 1894-04-02
TRAITS OF THE CHINESE.

Considered in Thoughtful Discussion Of
the Latest Treaty.
from the National Union Prfnter1
Intbis proposed treaty the attempt Is made
to meet the opposition Of the Pacific coast and
western country to the Chinese, and at the
same time please their advocates in the East.
1t will fail in both cases. The western people
do not want the Chinese at all, not even with
chrome thrown in. The easterners want
them here in large numbers, where they can
be enfolded by our religious elements, IL the
hope that their conversion to Christianity will
follow. As to the easterners. experience is
lost upon them. For fifty years money has
been poured out like water for missionaries
and tracts, both of which have been scattered
throughout Chinadom and given full oppor-
tunity to convert the Mongol to our forms of
religion. Forty years OF work OF this kind,
with an expenditure of over $1,000, 900, has
resulted in less than forty converts, many OF
whom have backsidden as soon as the Chris
tian hands that held them up have been taken
away. But why this failure? may be asked.
We answer that it is because the heathen
Chinee thinks he has a better religion than We
have.
A Chinese priest once told US that the basis
of Christianity was wrong, and that was why
we never could capture his people. He said,
"You Christians call your God the Father;
You worship, yet you fear Him, for He Is an
angry God, and all your efforts are expended
in placating him. We take an opposite view.
Our God is our Father. We do not fear Him,
for He is a loving and forgiving God. He
does not need placa.ing. The devil is the one
we fear: therefore, we try to placate him; we
set up his image and bow before it, and bring
tab
his wrath. And besides,' concluded the
priest, 'neary all. if not all. OF your Christian
religion has its foundation in paganism, any
way" Now, the most enthusiastic Christian
converter of Chinese in this country cannot
but admit that their greatest efforts have met
with but scant results. 1t is easy to order
Chinese servants to 90 to the Sunday school
of ones particular church: and IL the lady
teachers of the classes are sympathetically
kind, ii is easy to get them to continue in
their attendance. 1t would be easy. under
the same circumstances, to get our own
heather to go to Sunday school and to church,
with this in favor of the latter-that there
would be greater chance to make perma-
nent converts to Christianity.
Then, again, the Chinese who come to the
Pacific coast are not free agents. They could
not, with years of toll in their own country,
accumulate enough money to pay their trans
portation from China to San Francisco; and,
in order to reach our land, they pledge them
selves, body and almost soul, to the Six
Chinese Companies, who pay their passages
over for them. They go further-they pledge
their fathers and mothers wives and children,
that the passage money will be returned, and
that in addition, the laws and behests OF the
Six Companies will be implicitly obeyed by
them. Through an understanding with the
imperial government OF China the Six Com
panies see to it that laws and orders issued
from China are paramount to the Chinese
immigrant within our borders. Ii he fails to
comply with all these conditions, his father
and mother. if living, his wife and children,
if he has any. his brothers and sisters, if they
are pledged. are made slaves. Thus, It viii
be seen that even if the Chinaman were will
ing to become part OF our people he lS
restrained by remembrance Of the hostages he
leaves behind and his thoughts fnvoluntarily
will turn to what will happen to theE, If he is
the least bit disobedient.
Another thing. the Chinaman does not
come TO this country to stay; he is not
homogeneous; he will never, as in the case Of
our other immigrants, become a part of US.
A compact he makes with his own govern
ment through the Six Companies is that,
living or dead. he will return. That is the
reason why, when a Chinaman dies in this
country, that in the course of time his bones
are taken up and boxed and sent to China
When Chinaman leaves China it is not the
intention that he shall be an improver in any
other country. Not even his bones shall as
sist in enriching foreign soil. Not one China
man in 10000 who comes to this country
brings their family with him. They remain
at home, perhaps being held as bond for his
good conduct. Even if, as sometimes hap
pens, the Chinaman of this class marries one
of our women. when he returns to his home
he leaves the woman behind The Chinese
have profound contempt for our laws, our
government and our ppoDle