The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-04
THEOPENING OFCHINA
viii Make Available the Cheap-
est Labor in the World.
EFFECT ON AMERICAN WAGES.
- Problem That Confronts yndusfrv
= Mt Present Organized - How
Can White Men Competei
New York World

New York World,
erho can say what viii be the e1sr.
~.cn the industries OF this country n ,ha
eheap labor Of china IL employed in the
manufacture Of goods for the markets OF
fsss country
who can predict the disastrous ana
Acreless condition in which the American
vorkingman viii be In the face of the
ecrnpetition Of 40o.0oo.ooo Chinese, who can
nxe On cents day?
who car anticipate the changed ,n.r,s-
mai and social conditions in this country
~hich viii follow upon the investment Of
,nssssone Of American capital in the cheap-
n manufacturing centers of the Fiowery
Esngdcm7
These are questions which, sooner or
isfer, viii confront the American work.
ingrnan and capitalist II the China-Japan
treaty, as outlined In the Worlds cable
xssnatches. goes into effect
n that treaty lies hidden a menace 20
tie vorsEingmen Of the world. II is a
threat 10 the industrious. civilized white
rsoples of the earth. and one that, 20 an
economist. or one thoroughly familiar
WITH the labor conditions OF the different
rsslons, is fun Of evil portent
There are in China 402, ESQ 600 OF the thrift
TEST hardest working, most industrious.
most initiative and cheapest living people
al the face Of the earth. The ordinary
Chsaanaan can. in China, live on cents
! day can work sixteen hours day with
on. fatigue. as fatigue If understood by
the Engiishman, German or American.
ana he will learn more quickly any art OF
manufacture than the representative OF
any other nationality.
II the wall which for centuries has shut
n the hordes OF Chinese by themselves.
and despite the efforts OF wealthy can't
taists or all nations. has prevented the I'm
PRODUCTION Of modern machinery and
methods is now thrown down. IL win give
svirgfn opportunity TO rniflfoA OF capital
seeking investment, but IL viii sound the
Death knell of the industrial prospects of
every man who today depends upon the
restrictions OF production, according 10
The law Of supply and demand.
China's Opportunities.
The condition OF peace quoted which ia
pan has imposed upon China means that
Japan or any other nation. under what In
modern treaty making is called the "fav-
ored nation clause" may put into the IN
terror of China modern machinery and
carry on commerce with the inhabitants
rnder Instructions. too. OF Europeans or
Americans. the Chinese will be in posi-
ton 10 begin the manufacture OF every
staple article of commerce that the world
consumes.
Railways will be built through the coun-
y.
navigable for ocean-going steamers for
hundreds OF miles into the Interior, faciii-
ties for marketing the produce of the
country Will be expanded and made to
meet the needs the new condition creates
The product OF cheap Chinese labor will
be put upon the market AT such a price
that competition by any other people will
b. impossible.
As an instance of the ingenuity and
sdaptability of the japanese to modern
Methods In manufacturing. as well as that
Of his foster brother the Chinaman with
whom, by the treaty. he will be in ofTens-
I've and defensive alliance and co-operas
ton. IL is only necessary to cite the fact
that at an exposition now being held a,
Kimoro. Japan, the exhibits OF Japanese
manufactures of fbers. textiles. leather.
machinery. upholstery. hosiery, hardware.
surgical and scientific instruments, chemi-
Gals and glassware. are offered at such
prices that all possible competition In an
INFLATED. The London papers have al
ready perceived the results TO follow upon
the opening OF China. and have drawn
conclusions anything but reassuring 10
the English workingmen and manufac-
turers
recen. writer on the possibilities OF
trade with China said:
IF the European nations stand behind
japan and demand the enforcement of the
he opened 10 trade commerce and indus
try. It's resources viii be developed Its
coal and iron will be mined and used. II
enquestionahlv has petroleum, which will
also be utilized. and its native production
will be greatly developed. II the treaty
authorizes the civilized nations 10 do what
China refuses to do then there is hope for
that nation OF mummies in spite of them
selves
in this great work however little re-
lance can be placed upon the Chinese
Themselves. The Chinese who come here
and who have settled I'm such great num-
bers in California and the Pacific states
and In smaller numbers in Eastern and
Western cities. stay here until they have
earned little money. Then they return
10 China. They take back with them no
American methods. no labor-saving ma
thinery. no civilized ideas OF any kind.
They return and settle down I'm their old
futs. They take with them no ideas of
liberty or citizenship no desire 10 have
any part In their government Four hum
cred millions OF these fossilixed human
entities are packed into an area as big as
The United States and Canada fsic--China
proper is not half as big as the United
s,atesl. living purely on tradition. They
mink, talk. act and live backwards. spend
passive existence worshipping ancestors
and ghosts. in AFFECT poverty. with no
Yea or modern aspiration or ambition,
without doing one useful thing for the
serld, and die like the hcasts-worse than
NE heas's-as most OF them are rotted out
VIII their national vice Of opium smoking
The Chinaman az the close OF his life has
hciaing 70 show for himself hut vice. dis
ssse and squalid poverty. and he has no
desire to make hts life easier or better.
ne does nothing useful for himself or his
ReighhorS or the woodworking for hts
mental. moral or physical condition. They
heed shaking up but they will not do 10
themselves. They must be oveTrun by
meStern men and Western ideas. and II
sast can be done The recent war viii have
'.ea blessing to the world"
ne writer % the above closed his COM
m'ht with remark which shows the
,ep.tai'stic aSpcst OF the matter lie as
ssfs Il VII he a good thing for the civ
..~ea world and n blessing 10 open fhat
NsoAffy 10 commerce. and. as the treaty
t.Vf@aes, pcrrait 10 to compete With the
- q the world lie gives 70 heed 20
.as agitation which for years has kept
s'e Chinaman cat OF the United States.
~ because lie * not az 30 live here. but
.eeahss Re can live so cheap and WORK
:. 80 nach less than the white man,
~ " permitted 10 enter the country IN
ssefknlnatsiv, the civilized lahoring man
seale shortly be working for from - 70
sais day. and forced 10 live on the
e2sntal basis.
How China - Crowded.
,Dae can hardly conceive Of the fright
10y crowded condition Of China. large
Is. uClcss he has been there.
figures MAY help 20 give enc an ides-
a. most crowded state IN the Union Is
Aaeae Island where, according to the
SIS or 1880 there We're then IS+ per-