The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-11-24

to bear on the government from the
Pacific slope, the Exclusion Act was
passed prohibiting Chinese from coming
to this country in any capacity. II was
claimed that they were coming here in
such numbers that the American laborer
would lose his vocation or that wages
would be so cheapened that the native
bors citizen could not compete for liv-
ing with the Chinaman.
The result has been, in the first place,
moral wrong. has been placed on one
nation in excluding its people, while, an
open door with wise provisional clauses,
is extended to the rest of the world.
Secondly, the skilled labor market has
absorbed, and will absorb, all American
born labor that is willing and able to fill
these positions, and IS thus drawing away
from the manual labor field, the resources
from which It has depended. This breach
has become greater and greater, as this
vast country is so rapidly developing, till
now it is serious question in many Sec
| tions VI tuS Counuy III" nuSh VI LIZ
necessary labor can be accomplished.
The domestic department is particularly
oppressed If these years of exclusion
had been years of conditional admittance
there is no reason to doubt that there
would have been gradual absorption Of
a large population of Chinese into all
classes of agricultural and domestic labor,
and this without infringing in the least
with the native born and educated, skilled
laborer, whether farmer, mechanic, or the
thousand and one other occupations which
are open to them.
Thus the husbandry and all other call
ings requiring much manual labor would
have gradually regulated themselves and
all classes of industry would have been
better off. To now throw the doors wide
open and suddenly fill this great gap
would be both dangerous and unwise, but
to keep them closed because wrong has
been committed is equally wrong. That
a wholesome and wise admission act could
be passed, so that neither paupers, felous
nor any other criminal class could gain
access, as with other countries. and per-
haps clause limiting the number to the
demands of the various sections of the
country, which could be regulated BY the
labor bureaus and similar organizations
That the bitter feeling of the Chinese
against Americans, and indirectly caused
the death of the five Missionaries at Lien
Chow that has so stirred this whole COM
munity the past week, is undoubtedly
owing 10 the fact that this government
has not made any concessions to them in
these particulars, altho' the time of the
Exclusive Act expired within the year.
That the Chinese do make excellent
tilers OF the soil is attested by many ac-
counts we have from the Pacific slope
where they yield enormous revenues from
very small acreages of irrigated land, and
also as household help they are reported
as very efficient.
| As means of outstanding them. to
have them distributed thro' this civilized
communities. as is now being done with
the Indian, would in our opinion make it
practicable to lead them thro' home mis-
siouary work from the darkness of con-
fusion, into the light of Christ, that will
give them hope of Immortality.
The essay occasioned consider.
liable discussion, some advocating a
limited admission of the Chinese,
while others thought the present
social conditions and not scarcity
of material was the cause of lack of
help at the present time. Compul.
sorry education, abolition of the
liquor traffic, higher standard of
citizenship qualifications and re-
arrangement of immigration laws
were suggested by different speak
ers as remedy for present diff
culties in the way of procuring
needed help on the farm.
Morris Jones gave an interesting
account of a recent trip to the
tidewater region of South Carolina.
On motion the club adjourned to
meet with Harry Maxwell on
i naoaozl,or C0fh