The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-08-11
JUSTICE BREWERS ERROR.

Justice Brewer, of the United States
Supreme Court, is reported to have
made the following criticism of the
Chinese exclusion act, criticism
which is extraordinary when its source
is considered:
81 think that the time will come
when the people of the United States
will look back to barbarous laws ex-
Guiding the Chinese, as oiJizeIs of
Massachusetts now look back to the
hanging of the witches. America is
the great composite photographer of
nations, with duty to take all the
various races of the earth and all the
various elements of those nations
and put them all on the canvass to
make one picture, one race.
1t must be that the distinguished
justice has misunderstood the argu-
ments that are directed against the in
discriminate immigration of Chinese,
or that jim the midst of the work of
his judicial office he has not had them
brought to his attention. The great
reason why Congress has decided that
it is wise to keep the Chinese out of
this country is that they absolutely
refuse to become part of the lone
picture, one race" Justice Brewers
composite photograph" A China
man is always Chinaman. He
never becomes an American, no mat
ter how long he lives in this country.
In San Francisco, or other western
tnxunc nf n1nph " hara tha Ghinnco
gather. many adult Chinese are to be
found who were born in this country.
They retain the manners, customs,
and rules of living of the time of
Confuoius; they dress as their an
cestors did 5000 years ago. they amuse
themselves as their ancestors did they
worship the idols that their ancestors
worshiped and die happy in the knowl-
edge that their bones will be taken
across the seas and buried in Chinese
soil. They live in America, but they
are part of it only in so far as they
call upon it for sustenance and money
for their labor. They have no inter-
est in America, no desire to become a
pow "a Az uhN w eiiOiA ohO ]hLhOllOoh
is always foreign devil" to be toll
Grated only as a convenient means to
desired end-a money end.
A German, Frenchman, Rus
sian, an Italian, Spaniard, even
Jap-anybody but Chinaman-no
sooner takes up his residence in this
country than he begins to take an in
terest in it, to learn and adopt its
ways in short, he becomes an Amer
lean. His son born in this country is
an American, through and through.
But the Chinaman is never absorbed
as an element of the great United
States. He is alien, his ideas are alien,
and he absolutely refuses to be other
than alien. 1t is always his inten-
ton to make some money here and
then go home to enjoy it.
With all otner races the process of
amalgamation is hastened by intermar-
riage with Americans, or with Ameri-
canized foreigners AS general thing
the Chinese do not inter marry. They
marry other Chinese, or they do not
marry.
This then is the great reason against
admitting the Chinese to this country.
There is another reason, which is by
no means insignificant, especially when
its effect on the American working
man is considered. Chinese cheap
labor presents problems all its own,
hu 80
numerous reasons Chinese labor is
threat to American labor. The China
man in this country seldom marries or
raises a family. Even though he does,
his methods of living put his expense
far below the lowest figure at which
the American laborer can live accord
ing to American or any civilized ma
tion's ideas.
But it is not the purpose of this art
icle to discuss the question of Chinese
labor in all its phases merely to call
attention to the error of Justice
Brewer in thinking of the Chinese as a
possible composite part of the Ameri-
can nation. They may live here any
length of time but their inherent quail
tiles, their adherence to age-oId Gus.
toms, and opposition to all that would
make them other than Chinese, takes
away all possibility of their ever be-
coming part of Justice Brewers" one
picture, one race"
PORT ARTHITR