The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-11-22
Continued From Page One.

ago when by a plebiscital referendum, it was
determined that ninety-nine per cent Of the
have effect such we design to make upon
the minds of our brethren in the East
We are the waroers by the Golden Gate; we
must stand here forever in the pathway of
the Orient. and if there is any danger or trial
it is for us to sound the alarm. Hence our
The only man who is in favor Of Chinese
immigration in this city, so far as 1 know, is
he who believes that labor must be regarded
simply by its capacity for work; who regards
production as more important than the char
acter Of the population; and who, when told,
as 1 have told them, that the influx of unlim-
TIED immigration would overwhelm this coun-
try and destroy our civilization, give the an
me the deiuge" They vt take s none but that
narrow view, and here in q charitable
upon the people of the East the Importance
and gravity Of this question, and to memorial
lie Congress
There will be read or delivered before you ad-
dresses by gentlemen who have carefully stud
led the various aspects Of this question, its
commercial side. Why. our commerce with
China has increased since 1880, when exclusion
became effective, from twenty-six millions
that time, to over thirty-six millions and we
stand second to Great Britain alone accord
ing to the latest consular reports, in the vol
ume Of our trade with China In spite of our
exclusion policy, therefore, our commerce and
trade have advanced, and our diplomatic re-
lations have actually improved, because it was
due TO the magnanimity of this country that
China was allowed to come out of the recent
war Win an unQ1V1OeQ territory. (ApplauSe-)
In view Of all those circumstances believe
that great good will come from this cOnVen-
will confne themselves to facts and to argu-
ments. We have men here representing trade
commerce and labor; we have them represent
ing the mines and the orchards; we have
them representing skilled and unskilled indus
try; but. above ali we have them here as
and our civilization. (Applause.)
Various Aspects of Question.
I have taken simply, for your information. a
brief view Of the several aspects of the ques-
tion. That is, I regard it as labor question;
/ regard il as a race question; 1 regard it as
an international question, and, above and over
all, question involving the preservation Of
imagine from the inviting prospect, that 1 will
extensively discuss these various phases of the
question That viii not do But 1 cannot
impress too strongly upon the convention the
Importance Of bringing out as will be done,
these several views
The operatives in the cotton mills at Shang-
hal are paid upon an average of 20 to "a cents
8 day in silver, being from 1Oh to IS cents
daily in gold, the workmen boarding and lodg
ing themselves That is a sufficient argument.
/ think, the labor side of the question to
show the wages which they receive, L have
the gentleman who has that phase of the ques-
ton in charge. 1t runs down the line IN all the
wages which are paid. We know in this coun-
try that the Chinese came here under the Bur-
1ingame treaty and worked for very low wages,
and the scale has steadily advanced until they
get now very nearly what is paid to white
workingmen in the various industries in which
both engage. That is because the Chinese pop
ulation in California has diminished it has
gone down, due to the migration Of these peo-
were about $50 Chinese. To-day there are $500
And so in other States. California has made
her contribution Of Chinese to other States
ana that is the only reason why she should
suffer at the hands of other States and their
representatives. But the Chinese are free to
ny nHSn olcs tney come into this country,
ano they have, fortunately for us, emigrated to
other States.
the productiveness which would come from the
employment of cheap labor that would give
THIS country an economic advantage in the mar
kets OF the world. That can be easily answered
when we remember that the productive energy
OF the American people to-day is greater
per capita than the productive energy of the
people OF other countries (applause); that ma
chinery which is due largely to American in
Nentlon has been the cause to great extent
OF that productiveness, and that If we progress
as we have progressed in that direction GER
tainly we will have all we can do to take
care Of our surplus products to prevent over
production and stagnation.
There are in this country to-day, you know
about 16.OOo,O00 Of people. If we increase at
reasonable we will have nearly 23O OOO GEO of
people in the United States in one hundred
years Our inventive genius and constant i'm
provements being made in machinery VIII
greatly, therefore, improve our per capita pro-
ouctive capacity and enable us TO increase ollr
wealth and hold our own in the markets of the
world. We certainly doing il now and no
Doubt can continue TO do It and at the same
That IS the great question, towering above
even the question Of labor-the race question
II has been said that the South will vote
against US on the question of Chinese iuorni-
grafton on account of racial difficulties there
But the South has had its lesson on the race
question and will it in1ict another race cues
uon upon the country? 1t would be accusing
the South OF lack of interest in the success
OF the American republic to say So They are
sowing their race question as best they may
Lhelr solution Of it may not be a good solt-
ton; but they are afflicted, as the result Of
slavery IN the early days Of its DEVELOPMENT
there, with a great evil, which certainly every
Well-Wlsher in this land desires that they he
renewed OF They are SUFFERING the conse-
quences OF that sin, II may be said which has
oeen transmitted TO US when the easy conscience
OF our forefathers permitted African slavery
rms chinese question is to-day almost and it
must De regarded as. question of slavery
because the Chinese do not come voluntar ilI
1hey are slaves in every substantial meaning
OF the word because they come here under
contracts, and II has been said that If the Sir
Snlnese companies Of San Francisco should
g OUT OF business there would be no Chinese
mil 10