Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-16
THECH|NESEPROBLEM
A Serious Matter in the
Philippines.
DEMAN FOR LABOR
WHAT IS SAID BY PERSONS OF
DIFFERENT MINDS.
History of the Mongolians in the Is
lands-Have Always Been Perse-
cuted and Have Prospered.
DEMAND FOR LABOR
Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star and
Chicago Record Herald.


lates to labor. 1t is question whether the
natives are capable of furnishing. sufficient
energy and strength to carry out the plans
for internal improvements and to develop
the enormous natural resources of the
islands. Almost everybody who has studied
the situation and conditions believe that il
will become necessary to import foreign
labor, has been done In all of the East
India colonies. 1 have told you, as we have
come along, concerning the Chinese in
Burma the Malay states, the Straits Set
Elements and other portions of the East
Indies, which their prosperity and
progress to the enterprise and industry Of
that despised race, and sooner or later
they must be permitted to take hold OF the
Philippines. Governor Taft and the other
members of the commission have placed
themselves record by enacting an ex-
Clusion law in almost Identical terms with
that which shuts them out of our own coun-
try, and the energetic and thrifty coolies
cannot come and go between these ISLANDS
and the Asiatic ports as they were allowed
to do in Spanish times as long as they paid
head tax for passports. and kept the
government officials good natured by liberal
presents.
There is decided doubt as to the wisdom
OF the exclusion policy that has been adopt
ed. Several members of the commission
voted for it with great reluctance. consol-
Ing their cOnSCleDCeS Will d IcSci NotOi
that the law will be modified at any time
when II may be necessary or expedient.
Many men are of many minds. There are
those who think that nothing can be done
here in the way of national progress with
out the Chinese; that they are an absolute
necessity Others contend that the native
supply of labor is sufficient for present de-
mands and that when railroad building
and the expected boom begins as many
coolies as are needed can be admitted un-
6er restrictions and regulations Still
others are confident that coolie labor VIII
never be required; that the Filipinos can
furnish all that is necessary and are en-
titled to the preference in employment,
even If they Will not work as hard or ac-
complish as much as the Chinese Ihese
extremists contend that the government NJ
is pledged to a narrow Interpretation OF
the principle of the philippines for the
Filipinos:" that no matter If wages are
higher our little brothers In brown are
entitled to them, that foreign money IL
naeded over here; that every dollar paid TO
a native workingman by his shiftlessness
goes into immediate circulation and adds TO
the prosperity of the city while the Chlnese
are notorious for their economy, hoard thelf
earnings and spend as little as possible.
Chinese Characteristics.
There are several points to be considered
IN this connection. 1t must be admitted pS
everyone that the Chinese are the most
progressive, the most ingenious, the most
the Asiatic races except ting the Japanese
and that the prosperity of every one of the
Joet India colonies is entirely due 10 THESE
habits They have been equally lhluenlIoi
in the Philippines the most important lac-
TORS in Industrial and commercial aiidils
f,or, tbe beginning of the history OF the
archipelago although they nave Deeh pei
secuted here as in the United states loI
the very qualities which civilizeo nS'i o',
are supposed to admire, encourage ana cul-
tivate They have been the leaders ana IN
structors of the Filipinos in agricultu[e,
mechanics and commerce, ana lalo me
foundation for every one or the loGal llluue
trins except tobacco growing. Long be
fore the Spanards came to the ISLANDS theS
taught the natives how to grow sugar caie'
and invented and manufactured iol 'ielli
rude machinery for crushing the juice ana
making crude sugar on a large scale. lhey
developed the hemp industry. ana II was
through them that this, the chief STAPLE Oh
the Islands was introduced into the mar
tats Of the world They taught the Fill
ninos how to make oil from the nuts OF the
cocoa paIms and the success OF the copra
industry is due TO the enterprise, HnuusiS
and capital of the despised heatnen.
Nevertheless they have always Deen an
unwelcome race; they have been regaroeu
ms intruders; they have been prosecuted II,
the most barbarous manner S ,,,assa-
and oppressed IN various ways, ana massa
cred by thousands. To this very DAY u
Filipino cannot repress his hatreu T Ti.o
manifests II in every way posslpie- ne
native COaCnIndN WIZ III LNS1 49,
city will take pains to run into every CHI
nese cart he sees, and will crowd emma
man against the wall with ms Wheei II nc
has opportunity. Filipino children throw
stones at Chinese in the streets, pull thelr
cues and insult them in every manner pos
sible Woodworking, unonendlng' lhnoceH'
men are crippled and sometimes killed OUT
right by envious and lazy F1iplnos SIMPLY
because the Chinaman insists upon work
ing and saving his wages
Massacres of Chinese.
.assacres of Chinese have occurred at in
.ar,,als during the last three centuries; gov
ernors and other officials. down to the keep
ore NJ the gates inspectors of the markets
and street policemen have levied blackmall
upon them and heavy fees imposed upon
no other portion OF the community, ana ex-
cessiye and vexatious taxes have been lev
led upon them individually ana as a com
munity And II ii were possible IN any way
Ia ascertain the amount of money the Chi
nese have lawfully and unlawfully paid IN
the Philippines from time to time Tor the
privilege of living and doing business here
the world would be amazed at Its magni-
tude And yet all this time, and against all
these odds the Chinese population has
grown in numbers. Importance and wealth
Protected by the Spanish.
Before the discovery of the Philippines
Chinese junks were trading along the shores
Of the islands and the prejudice against
them even then was so great that, we are
told, they never landed, but conducted their
commercial transactions atioat. and 1t was
not until they obtained the protection of
the Spaniards that they dared to bring
stocks of goods ashore. They contributed
in a large measure to the prosperity of the
new colony. and the Spanish pioneers. APP
preciating the value of their trade and in
dustry provided them with large building
called the Alcayceria, which covered an en-
tire square and consisted of rows OF shops
each with an apartment for living purposes
I'm the upper story. This building was fin
ished in the year 1880, and stood under the
guns of the fort at the mouth of the harbor
where it's occupants could be protected
against the natives. In the meantime they
spread beyond the limits of the Alcayceria
and another large house within the walled
city was provided for them. 1t was called
the Parian," and stood until 1860 CEN
ter of Chinese trade and the headquarters
of the Chinese chamber of commerce Ex-
cept a few Europeans they were the only
merchants in the archipelago The natives
had neither knowledge, tact, energy or am
biton. and the Chinese monopolized the
foreign trade. They were the only indus
trious. thriving. skillful and weaIth-pro-
ducing population.
Notwithstanding these facts the jealousy
of local tradesmen and the clamor for their