Amador ledger., 1901-11-29
Anti chinese Memorial to Congress.

Anti chinese Memorial to Congress.
The Chinese exclusion convention in
San Francisco unanimously adopted
the following strong and carefully
worded memorial as presented by the
committee on resolutions, of which
Senator John F. Davis was chairman:
MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS.
To the president and the congress of
the United States:
Pursuant to call officially issued by
the city of San Francisco, there as
sembled at the city of San Francisco,
on the 2lst day of November, 1901, for
the purpose of expressing the senti-
ments of the state of California, con-
vention composed of representatives of
county supervisors, city councils, trade,
commercial and civic organizations, to
the number of more than one thousand,
and without dissent it was resolved to
memorabilia the president and the con-
gress of the United States as follows:
WHEN CHINESE FLoCKED IN.
Soon after the negotiation of the
Burlingame treaty in 1868, large num-
to this country under contract. Their
numbers so increased that in 1873 the
people OF the state made practically
unanimous demand for the restriction
OF immigration. Our white population
suffered in every department. of labor
and trade, having in numerous instanc-
es been driven out Of employment by
the competition of the Chinese. The
progress of the state was arrested be-
cause so long as the field was occupied
| by Chinese new and desirable immi-
grafton was impossible. After bitter
struggle remedial legislation was pass
ed in 1882, and was renewed in 1892,
and by treaty with China in 1894, the
Chinese exclusion became, with the
consent of China, apparently the set
tied policy of this country. These laws
were to run for a period of ten years.
| Your memOrialists, in view of the fact
that the present so-called Geary law
expires by Limitation on May 5th next,
and learning that you have been petit
toned against its re-enactment believe
that it is necessary for them to repeat
and to reaffirm the reasons which, in
their Judgment, require the re-enact-
ment and the continued enforcement of
the law.
EFFECTS OF THE GEARY ACT.
The effects of Chinese exclusion have
been most advantageous to the state.
The IS, 600 Chinese residents of Cali
fornia, in 1880, have been reduced, &C.
cording to the last census, to As, 600;
and whereas, the white settlement of
California by Caucasians had been ar
rested prior to the adoption of these
laws, healthy growth of the state in
population has marked the progress of
recent years. Every material interest
OF the state has advanced, and pros
perity has been our portion. We're
the restriction laws relaxed, we are
convinced that our working population
would be displaced, and the noble
structure of our state, the creation of
American ideas and industry, would be
imperiled, if not destroyed. The lapse
of time has only confirmed your me-
morialists in their conviction, from
their knowledge derived from actually
coming in contact with the Chinese,
that they are REPRESENTATIVE race,
and by every standard of American
thought, undesirable as citizens. AL
though they have been frequently en-
ployed and treated with decent consid-
GRAFTON ever since the enactment of the
exclusion law in 1882, which was the
elimination and satisfaction of Cali
fornia's patriotic purpose, they have
not in any sense altered their racial
characteristics, and have not socially
or otherwise assimilated with our
people.
CHINESE ARE NOT ASSIMILATIvE.
To quote the imperial Chinese Cen
eral of San Francisco: "They work
more cheaply than whites; they live
more cheaply; they send their money
out of the country to China; most of
them have no intention of remaining in
the United States, and they do not
adopt American manners, but live in
colonies and not after the American
fashion"
Until this year no statute had been
passed by the state forbidding their
intermarriage with the whites, and yet
during their long residence but few
intermarriages have taken place and
the offspring has been invariably
degenerate. 1t is we'll established that
the issue of the Caucasian and the
Monaghan does not possess the virtues
of either, but develops the vices of
both: So physical assimilation is out
of the question.
1t is well known that the vast major
lily of Chinese do not bring their wives
with them in their immigration because
of their purpose to return to their ma
tive land when competency is earned.
Their practical status amongst US has
been that of single men competing at
low wages against not only men of their
own race, but men who have been
brought up by our civilization to family
life and civic duty. They pay little
taxes, they support no Institutions
neither school, church nor theatre
they remain steadfastly, after all these
years, permanently foreign element.
The purpose, no doubt, for enacting
the exclusion laws for periods of ten
years is due to the intention of con-
gress of observing the progress of these
people under American institutions,
and now it has been clearly demon
strated that they cannot, for the deep
and ineradicable reasons OF race and
mental organization, assimilate with
our own people and be nodded as are
other races into strong and composite
American stock.
DETER DESIRABLE IMMIGRATION.
We respectfully represent that their
presence excludes desirable popula-
ton, and that there is no necessity
whatever for their immigration. The
immigration laws of this country now
exclude pauper and contract labor from
every land. All Chinese immigration