The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-07
A CHINESE HuMDUG,
III "Che"pnr's" OF tho "%fiowsry" King
dom Dors Not Suit this Country,

ihe "thehphrss" or tho "ftOwrry'' King.
dom Does Not snii this Country.
baltimore Sun, (Dcm): While ii
Hung Chang Is n very shrewd and Willy
old politician OF the Chinese pattern,
his stntcSmanshIp In some respects IA
OF a narrow and limited orler charnc-
terlstic OF the seml.clvIIIzed and I'm.
progressive nation to which hc belongs,
Ills criticism OF the Irish In his inter.
View In New York the other day was
not only unjust, hut Il bad dinlomntIc
mistake. il Ito were az well Informed
M TO the affairs OF this country as le
should be, he would know That an nj.
tack upon no influential and 20 large
~. element OF our population could not
aid IN securing tho privileges for Chi
neAe immigrants to tho United States
which he desires, Ills remarks Oh thia
whole subject bctrny an ignorance and
mlsapprehenslOn an 10 the genius OF
U institutions und the character OF
our people which could only be eXpcct-
ed from n Chinese statesman, ii sny
TO you" he said to the reporters, "thnt
TO ahut out cheap labor Is unfair and
against tho best interests OF your coun.
try. BY excluding the Chinese and
taking the Irish you get inferior labor
ana pay superior prices for II, A Chi
naman lives u more simple life thun nm
lrIshnlan, anu the Irish hutc the Chi
nese because they are pOSsesYora OF
higher virtues" 1t would possibly be
difficult TO make Ii Hung Chang un-
derstand that VIZ believe In this coun-
try that II Is only honest and lust To
pay living prices for ~labor-waEes TINT
viii enable working people to live like
civilized human beings, not like beasts
OF burden, We don't want Il tidal wave
Of Chinese cheap labor because, II II
we're permitted, our laborers might In
time be reduced to the pItIable plight
OF thc average ChinAman. The cOndl-
tlOn OF China does not present much
temptation to other countries to follow
Its political or economic practices, In
spite OF the natural ingenuity and in
duStry OF It's people. 1t hns made COM
parntivIy little progress for many ccn-
turtles. and pretty much everything in
the way Of modern development that
has been accomplished within Itg limit
has been due to external pressure or
foreign capital. Chinese theories of
government have resulted In u nation
OF cheap men who arc unable to hold
their own with even the smaller ma
tons around them.
Cheapness Is not everything. Mr.. Ii
Hung Chang. and We are not anxious
TO Initiate Chinese models In this re-
gard. Human beings may learn to live
80 cheaply that they a work for next
10 nothing, but there Is danger that
both humanity and national manhood
may lose greatly by the process. It is
not with the Irish alone that the Chi
nese are unpopular. No special aCfec-
ton Is felt for them by any nationality.
As to the Chinese being hated because
Of their high virtues" Ii Hung Chang
must be perfectly aware that he Is
talking the verkst rubbish. Nobody
dlslikcs them FOR any such reason. II
Is the absence OF high virtues" In a
large proportion o! those who have
come to this country that has excited
popular prejudice quite as much as
their cheap labor. The Chinese colonies
established in some OF our cities-no-
tably In San Francisco-present object
lessons in immortality and degradation
OF the most startling and repulsive
character. The Irish citizens OF the
United States. We cake 1t. Will not be
greatly ruiiled by L! Hung Chang'a
unfavorablc comparison. They are
among the best and most reliable vie-
ments OF our population. and the coun-
try has reason to be proud OF them.
There Is not n page OF Its history or a
foot ut It's progress to which Irish
pluck and intelligence have not CON
tributed. To mention the Chinese In
the same breath with a race which has
distinguished Itself In every quarter OF
the globe by Its genius and Its valor
would not occur 70 any one but the
representative OF q system which val
ues men for their chcapness.
Such a criticism as that OF Mr.. Chang
Is below resentment. We are, neverthe-
less, glad to see that members OF the
Washington police force declined to
perform te mental office OF carrying
him IN his sedan chair from the train
TO his carriage. The police ure not ap-
pointed TO act as lunkIes 10 plg-taIlel
diplomats from the Orient, and whether
the particular policemen who refused
TO perform this service We're Irishmen
or not. they were entirely right In their
refusal.
No, Mr.. Ii Hung Chang. we do not
want the cheap labor you have In Chi
M. You have ground down labor there
TIL you crushed the manhood out OF
your people. II You are ever to hold
your own with Japan or any other
country you VIII either have to change
your methods OF government or en-
ploy the Irish anu other foreigners to
fight your battles for you. ~
We fear the Chinese diplomats head
has been somewhat swellcd by the Mt
tentlons he has received In this and
other civilized countries. and especially
In New York City. II would be we'll for
him to have the swelling reduced be-
fore he returns to China, or II may get
him into difficulties. There they have
an unpleasant way sometimes Of re-
ducing a swelled ~hcad-by separating
II from the body. In this country We
have n simpler method OF curing the
trouble. We merely laugh at the fool
ish creature-statesman or ordinary
cit!zen-untll his head resumes It's nor
nal size. The man who has had n case
Of "bIg head" rarely fOrgets the rIdI-
culc and contempt which 1t has earned
him.