Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-01-10

The Boston Journal says:
Outside Of a very restricted area
Chinese cheap labor is no longer the
bugaboo which it was. 1t is beginning
to be realized that the United States has
less to fear from the comparatively inof-
fensive Chinese, unassimilable as they
are, than from the offscourings of South
ern Europe, which constitutes at present
SO large part of our immigration"
The question before the country
now is, if Chinese immigration shall
be restricted. When that question is
settled we will deal with the immigra-
tion problem as presented on the At
lantic coast. The law has been estab-
lished that the immigration of Chi
nese lsborers may be prevented. The
experience of twenty years shows that
an exclusion law may be enforced.
There are fewer Chinese in the coun-
try now than there were ten years
ago, and we are stopping leaks in the
law every year. Our esteemed Boston
contemporary discloses the secret Of
it's friendliness toward the Chinese in
the following paragraph:
"And if there are labor interests with
real or Fictitious interest in the exclu-
sion of Chinese, there are other labor in
terests which have much at stake in the
development of American trade, and an
ample outlet of American manufactures
in the Chinese empire"
A nation which is not to o degree
selfish is pretty certain to be despoiled.
On the same principle section of
nation which does not look out for its
own interests is too altruistic to pros.
per. The section in which the Journal
is published turns more goods out of
its factories than it can find market
for. The 100000, 900 people in China
are possible purchasers of some OF this
surplus of goods. Therefore, from the
New England point of view. it seems
better that the Pacific coast be over
run with Chinese than that possible
customer for New England made goods
be offended. A longer and broader
view may besAken of the Chinese i'm
migration question. The greatest
danger to New England supremacy in
manufactures lies in this Chinese i'm.
mig ration movement. The introduc.
ton of Chinese labor in factories in
China is being accomplished slowly
and under many difficulties. These
difficulties would be quickly overcome
if there were free immigration of Chi
nsse 90 that Pacific coast factories
could be manned by Chinese laborers.
On this coast we have seen few
thousand Chinese take one skilled in
dustry after another from white men
6nd women. The Chinese quic ckly
mastered the sewing machines and
were content to work twice as many
hours as the white girls could work.
In few months thousands Of white
women were thrown out OF employ
ment by their brown competitors. So
with the cigarmaking trade, SO with
every trade the Chinese turned their
attention 10. So it would be with
cotton factories. with WOODEN factories,
boot and shoe factories and other fac.
tories that might be established on
THE coast.
It may be said that this introduc.
tion Of Chinese labor would he o good
thing for few American capitalists,
but it would make slaves OF the white
working people. With 40O, O,OOO, 900 Of
people to draw a supply OF labor from,
the white laborer would either be
crowded out Of the countryside coun.
try We fondly call Gods country-or
be forced to accept the Chinese stand
ard of wages and Of living.