The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1901-11-23

an American Question-Our Right
to Exclude Them.
Excerpts from an article in the
North American Review for November,
by James D. Phelan,- Mayor OF San
F'rancisco.)
The Exclusion Acts then passed Tin
1892 were limited to ten years. dura-
ton. In May next the latest act will
expire by Limitation, and congress will
be asked to renew It,, because, until
now, Chinese exclusion has been re-.
garded in diplomatic circles and else
where as the settled policy of the
country. Has there been any change
in the nature of the evil, or in the
sentiments Of the people? Certainly
not on the Pacific Coast, where, the
lapse of time has made still more
of the Chinese and their undesirability
as citizens. .
The statistics show that the whole
number Of Chinese in the United States
has not materially increased within
ten years, while the Chinese population
in California has decreased. In 1880
the census revealed the presence Of
1872 Chinese in California;; In 1890,
72,472. and in 1900. 1854. In New York
state there were but 20 Chinese in 1870;
in 1880 there were 500; in 1890, 1885, and
in 1900, ITO. The Chlaese in California
have apparently emigrated to other
states. and this will ultimately bring
the question, in a practical way, be-
fore the people of the East.
Practically Unanimous.
To show the unanimity of the people,
I may point out that the legislature
submitted by referendum the question
Of Chinese immigration to a popular
vote. For Chinese immigration 1888
votes were polled, and against Chinese
immigration 154,63S votes. In the City
of San Francisco, representing the
wealth and intelligence and containing
the skilled-labor organizations of the
state, only 224 votes were cast in favor
of the immigration and 41,258 votes
against it. This result demonstrated
clearly that the resident population of
California, taking the broad ground of
Misrepresentation, refused to suffer
themselves to be dispossessed of their
Inheritance by Chinese coolies. That
is what the verdict meant.
A select committee of congress, after
investigating the question and taking
testimony in California, reported in
favor of Chinese exclusion, and that
policy has been regarded ever since
as peaceful preventive of serious dis
orders affecting the body polite which
would have inevitably ensued had the
national legislature failed to protect
the white population Of the country.
The municipal authorities Of the city
and county of San Francisco have is-
sued a call for a convention to memoir
alize congress again on the subject.
and on November 21st there will be q
representative gathering Of the people
of California to voice the sentiments
Of the state. 49, ~
The Chinese ConsuPs view.
Mr.. Ho Vow, knowing the great de-
mand there is in a new country for
common laborers, has ingeniously taken
the stand that the Chinese are not
skilled, and, presumably. are incapable
of becoming skilled. Knowing also that
skilled labor is organized and is al
ways in the vanguard for the defense
and protection of labor rights, he has
endeavored to quiet its alarm by argu-
ments Of this kind. He thus appeals
to the cupidity of the farmer and the
orchardist, while he attempts to allay
the fears of the mechanic. It in safe
to say that his argument is a careful
and studied presentation Of the case.
He attempts to meet the ''accusers Of
his people, by granting with astonish-
ing candor everything that they say.
To quote him:
Il shall concede that the Chinese
do in sense work more cheaply than
whites; that they live more cheaply;
that they send their money out of
the country to China; that most OF
them have no intention OF remaining
in the United States; that
they do not adopt American manners,
but live in colonies and not after the
American fashion,"
He then boldly says that on these
accounts a condition is created which
lis to the highest advantage of this
country, and particularly to the highest
advantage of those who oppose Chinese
labor and at whose instance the laws
,"c1c pdSSCu' ne dISuSS-dS we nave
seen, fallaciously-that opposition to
the Chinese was the work Of political
demagogues"; and he further says that,
after exclusion, the business of Cali
fornia on that account dried up" and
that trade with China fell off $1,000 900
in two years. Ho Vow is evidently in
error, because. after Chinese exclusion,
trade with China steadily increased.
The total imports and exports in 1880
amounted to $27, 999, 1872, in 1882 to $751;
1872 1913, and in 1900 to $38, 10000. Con-
sul-General Goodnow says Consular
Reports for August, 1901: r.
1.-THE United States is second only
to Great Britain in goods sold to the
Chinese: The United States
buys more goods from China than does
any other nation; and her total trade
with China, exports and imports.
equals that Of Great Britain mot in
Guiding colonies) and is far ahead OF
that Of any other country" g.
The Chinese are not like other emil
grants whose departure from the land
that nurtured them in their helpless
infancy and childhood is an irrevocable
loss The Chinese emigrant goes out
l