The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-05-28
THE CHINESE COMPLAINT.
AMERICAN UNFAIRNESS TO THE
RACE.
Discrimination Against Them Due to
the Fact That They Enter Into Com
petition With Whites.

EDITOR STAR: For the purpose Of
arriving at the truth of the matter in
regard to the cause which brought
about the widespread discrimination
against the Chinese .as a people, 1 re-
specially beg to differ with you, Mr..
Editor, in some of the statements
which appeared in the editorial columns
of your valuable paper of the 25th inst
1t is true that those who go about
dressed as Chinese should not be sur
| prised If they are classed as such. But
| upon sufficient explanation they should
be credited to the race to which they
| really belong. You can always, with
out exception, identify an Anglo-Saxon
! or any man of European descent, al
though he is dressed in all the habili-
ments of a Chinaman, for the simple
reason that he has not "all the appear
ance of being a Chinese"
Is the discrimination against the
Chinese the fault of the Chinese Gov
| ernment?' Why is it the fault of the
Chinese Government? Is it because the
| Chinese Government has made a COM
| pact with the Government of the Unit
ed States giving the privilege to the
latter to discriminate against the peo-
pie of the former. and to treat them
according to its own sweet will? If so,
such compact is null and void as
against public policy. 1t would tend to
encourage litigation, and infringe es-
tablished principles and tendencies of
! the law.
But what is the fault of the Chinese
! Government that has caused its people
to be Disseminated against? Is it be-
cause the Chinese Government has
never taken it's place among the world
powers, upon an equality" If by taking
a place among the world powers, upon
an equality is meant that China has
not as strong an army nor formid-
able navy as the world powers, then
L submit that you are correct. But
even so it would not justify it's people
being Disseminated against in a land
which pretends to have the greatest re-
gard for human equality-in fact the
nation in question was 50 conscientious
about it that the blood of thousands
was split for the very cause of human
equality Or does equality with the
world powers mean that China's repre-
| sentatives at the capitals of the world
| powers are not on terms of equality
| with the representatives of the world
| powers? This cannot be: for China has
| at present in the courts of the world
| powers some of the most able and re-
speCted statesmen she or the world has
| ever produced. They are men who
| would do credit to the world powers
| She has Minister WI Ting Fang at
| Washington who is acknowledged even
| by the American politicians themselves
! to be a Keen diplomat of no me an de-
| gree. She has Earl Lo at the court of
| St James, who is acknowledged TO be
a scholar of no mean order. These two
| will suffice to show you that China is
| not without representatives that rank
| with the repreS -liUatiVes of the world
powers. This Icing so, and since the
standing of government is maintain
! ed in great measure by it's representa-
| tives, | submit that China is on terms
| of equality with the world powers. OF
course there are differences between
China and the world powers in respect
| to their laws and forms of govern
| ment. But whatever the differences
and whether China is or is not on terms
| of equality with the world powers it
would not justify this popular discri-
| mination against the Chinese.
In justice to the Chinese Government
L respectfully beg to differ with you
that the whole fault of the recogni-
| ton of Chinese has lain with the Chi
| neSe Government" The whole fault
has not lain with the Chinese Govern
| ment. The fact that a nation is weak
| is no reason that the people should
suffer illtreatment al the hands of
civilized and Christian governments.
| But rather the fault lies with the gov
] than to illtreat the helpless. 1t is an
unwise policy to suffer any race of
people to be Disseminated against, be-
cause its government at present is not
| upon an equality with the world mowers
| in point of strength. For the time may
| come when the tables will be turned.
! This is no mere dream,-for if we look
back into the pages of history we shall
| see that Kingdoms and empires have
| a n
Who can say that the United States of
America will never fall? And when it
is not on an equality with the world
| powers in point of strength, will it's
people consider it justified if the same
| treatment the Chinese are receiving to-
day is accorded them? l am sure they
will consider it an outrage. They will
say it is tyrannical, etc.
If the Chinese have been illtreated in
| the past, there is no reason why they
| should be so treated now. They have
in a great measure adopted foreign
| ideas and customs; they have adopted
to a certain extent the language of the
nglo-SaXon they have attended your
schools. and many have shown them
selves to be eminently fitted to dis
charge all the duties of an American
citizen; your secondary schools are
we'll represented by Chinese youths; in
commercial affairs the Chinese are
working together with white men for
one common end; they are financially
interested in many of your business
enterprise. What better proof of ASST
initiation of foreign ideas can be given
than those set forth? These facts are
before your very eyes, and need no
scrutiny to convince you of their truth.
For the welfare of all, irrespective Of
race, color, or previous condition Of
| serVitude, be it said that this declara-
tion-"All men are created equal that
they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable rights, that among
these are life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness"-must be maintained.
1.-THE root of the matter (racial pre-
judice) lies in the fact that the (Chi-
nese) ruling class thinks itself superb
or to all the rest of the world" I again
= respectfully beg to differ with you Mr..
Editor. The root of the matter does
not lie with such fact. If the ruling