The herald., 1896-10-25
THE JAPANESE MENACE.

Editor Herald: The first installment
Of the Japanese immigration contingent
to the United States has been with us
for several months. Here in Los An
geles these Oriental candidates for
American dollars are blossoming out in
the cheap restaurant keeping line and,
judging from the patronage they re-
ceive from-singularly enough-Ameri-
can laboring men and mechanics, are
finding profitable returns from their in
vestments in the trade of catering to the
inner man. From q casual visit made
recently by me to one of these five and
ten-cent Japanese restaurants on Main
street there was not lacking evidence in
the place and table service of the truth
Of the old saw, Cheap and nasty" The
cool and undisguised contempt evinced
by the copper-colored walters for the
foreign devils" upon whom these jap
anese accessions to American labor were
waiting, emphasized the foulness of the
evil smelling, fy-haunted and dark
some room in which dinner was being
served and pricked ones patriotism
rather painfully The dinner tables
were minus table cloths. The knives,
forks and spoons for dinner service were
Of iron and black with rust, while the
dishes served were stale, fiat and un-
profitable" to any save he whose appe-
tite was keen enough to overlook all
impurities and association of Oriental
nastiness. But the mental vision of the
bankrupted citizen saw in the five or
ten cent cost of the meal, saw in it's
cheapness ample or enough compensa-
ton for it's uninviting and somewhat
rauseating accessories Here was an OBJ
ject lesson of the Prevailing hard times;
here were argument and protest in ORR
entail setting, against McKinleyism, a
pathetic though silent declaration of the
q n hn ANA Mir
good living" most eloquent illustra-
tion that more money-free silver and
plenty of It's just now the paramount
want of the average American citizen.
But question rises up here that de-
serves serious attention, to-wit: Why
do American white men patronize these
crude though naughty, these uncleanly,
irresponsible heather, to the detriment
Of just as cheap and infinitely more
cleanly restaurants run" by American
white men just across the street, or in
the next block, or the next street? There
are millions of men in Japan signing for
the feshpots Of the American restau-
rant. Every five or ten cents expended
by Americans with Japanese already
here are just that much encouragement
to the men Of the land of chrysanthe-
NUNS and cherry blossoms to come over
and try their luck under the stars and
stripes. Do we want them? We have
prohibitory law against Chinese labor
ers. In what does the Japanese differ,
as competitor of American labor, from
John Of the pigtail and Flowery King
dam? In fact, in view of the superior
aptness of the Japanese to pick up the
trades and arts incident to western CIV
ilization, he is more dangerous pros
pective rival forAmerican workmen than
the Chinese. Yet honest American me-
chanics and other stalwart members of
American labor unions aSe daily passing
by the places of business of their own
countrymen to spend their nickels and
dimes in furtherance of the interests of
these advance agents of Mckinley hard
er times-these cheap Japanese Johns,
every man jack of whom is but a men,
her of the pioneer guard of that vast
army of Oriental barbarians who are
only waiting for an opportunity to over
run the fair towns and cities of the Uni
ted States. Sic vos non vobis is motto
that the workingmen of America might
put upon their banners.
]. C. NJ.
Los Angeles, October 16, 1896.