The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-21
CHINESE in PHILIPPINES
OUR POLICY OF EXCLUSION HELD To
BE ERRONEOUS.
How the British and the Dutch Have
ipinos a Decadent Race.
London Times.

Wnere, Wnen ana how Ii should be encour-
aged, where it should be permitted. where
and how prohibited-is a problem of urgent
and increasing Importance, the satisfactory
solution of which affects the welfare of an
overwhelming area within and without the
confines of the British empire. Most OF the
countries which form the immense ~littorals
of the Pacific. and many of the islands
which lie upon the broad bosom Of that
ocean. are intimately concerned with this
matter both as regards their present and
their future development and prosperity.
The question Is one, moreover, which ex-
cites the strongest feelings, almost amount
ing to fanaticism, in those regions affected
by II in which a resident white population
belonging to the working classes is found.
and some of the late Mr.. Rhodes's last
Of yellow labor into South Africa and the
attempts to give effect to the idea In which
some influential mining houses OF Johannes
burg are engaged introduce a new element
into the problem.
The Chinese immigrant is to be viewed
from a variety Of ~standpoints, according to
the circumstances of the country into
which his incursions are made. On the
northwestern littoral Of America and in the
states Of the Australian Commonwealth he
is. as is well known. Anathema M~aranatha
to the vast majority of the white popula-
ton. In the British tropical colony of the
Straits Settlements and in the Federated
Malay states on the neighboring mainland
he is the life-blood of the entire community,
essential alike to the government, whose
revenue is supplied by him; to the capital
lists, whose mines and plantations are de-
veloped by his toll, and to the merchant,
whom he serves at once as customer and
middleman.
The policy of the colonial administrations
under the union jack in this quarter of the
pelling the indolent native population to
undertake their fair share of the labor
which they detest and despise, and since
restitution is unknown among them-a min
imum Of grudging toll suficing to supply
their simple wants-they are suffered to be
as idle as they will.
NEED OF CHINESE LABOR.
There is work to be done, however. and
somebody must be found to do il. and hith-
erto the yellow man has held the field sue
cessfully, nay. t~riumphantly, against all
corners, the Tamil immigrants from south
ern India having failed ANONYMOUSLY to
hold their own against the sturdier and
more persistent race. Accordingly the
value Of the Chinese immigrant being fully
admitted. n the equality of all the SOL
vent members of mankind being something
more than a magnificent theory, in British
possessions abroad the yellow settler
speedily becomes a full born British sub
ject, and is granted all the privileges OF
citizenship.
In the Legislative Council of the Straits
settlements and in the State Councils OF
the Malay States the Chinese are repre-.
sented by men of their own blood; the in
terests of the poorer portion of their COM
munity are specially safeguarded by gov
eminent officers acquainted with their Ian
guage who are detailed for that purpose;
the wealthy Chinese merchants and mine
owners are as completely unfettered by
harassing restrictions as are their English.
scotch or German competitors in the same
sphere Of enterprise.
AS a consequence the Chinese pour into
the colony and protectorate in a continuous
stream, and the cynical are apt to point the
finger of scorn at a system which, they de-
clare, administers a British crown colony
primarily for the benefit of the yellow in.
truders. 1t is a fact altogether beyond dis.
pute that here the best of everything
houses, lands, equipages, horses-is the
property Of the successful Chinaman, and
the casual visitor, as he plows along in
the red dust of Singapore, is offended by
the sight of gross. silk-clad Celestials loii.
Ing magnifcently in their open carriages.
But the answer to his indignant protest
is to be found In the fact that the China
man has earned all that he enjoys in the
open field of competition, that he has only
his own energy and wit to thank for the
wealth of which he makes a somewha,
ostentatious display, and that he has CON
tributed materially to the prosperity and
riches of a community which. lacking his
aid. would have continued to be what II
was In the days when it was governed
from Calcutta-One of the empires starve-
lings and spendthrifts..
DUTCH COLONIES HANDICAPPED.
The converse of this picture is to be seen
in the Dutch colonies in the MayIayan
archipelago, for here the immigration OF
the Chinese is very carefully restricted. and
those who have penetrated the barriers are
confined to certain districts of the country
are only permitted to live in a few we'll
defined quarters Of the towns. and are not
suffered to offend the amour propre of the
white man by making use Of handsome
carriages. or by Haunting their wealth in
the faces of envious unsuccess. These
things are doubtless rendered necessary In
order to prop the system which prevails In
the Dutch colonies. for Holland has no
sympathy with the slothful inertia char
acteristic OF the Malayan races, which is
allowed to continue unchecked in British
possessions.
The Dutch require the native to work.
and. moreover, succeed in forcing him to
do 80, and though the quality of his labor
Is never up to the standard Of the Chinese
coolie, 1t s~uffices, and Is rendered cheap 10
the European by certain cunnine1y framed
laws which have been devised to that end
That this system should not commend it.
self to an ease-loving brown population is
natural enough and Il may be questioned
whether Holland does not lose more in the
animosity which 1t excites than she gains
in material wealth by its adoption.
In the Philippines-another land in which
a Malayan people are found living in sub
lection to a white government-the cues.
ton OF Chinese immigration has already be.
come a burning topic of dispute. but the
Americans have imported their prefudjces
as well as their armies, and all present in.
dications seem to point to a policy Of rigid
exclusion of the yellow alien from the new.
ly acquired possessions. This, I'm the opin.
ion Of those who are best acquainted witt
the race TO which the Filipinos belong
will. IL adhered to, prove a fatal error OF
Judgment.
WORK WHICH MUST BE DONE.
In the Philippines, as in British Malaga, II
will be found, when peace is finally re.
stored, that there is work to be done-worl
which is essential to the development OF
the country and the welfare Of the commu.
nifty at large. Therefore someone must b,
discovered at once capable and willing tc
undertake it. We say willingly advisedIy
because American instincts and institu
lions, like those which prevail among our
| selves, preclude the possibility of such 4
system as that which subsists In Dutch
Malaga being adopted in the Philippines
The Americans cannot follow in the foot
steps of the Dutch by compelling the Lag,
brown man to work. no matter how heart
lily he hates the very name OF toll. vet
except under the goad of absolute compul
--at.- "a 81. a.