The San Francisco call., 1907-01-06


American labor. The rough laborer,
the railroad digger is another kind of
Jap. Gangs of them are in Wash
ington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Ne
vada, but the Jap who comes to Cali
fornia is a different sort He Els
dapper, acute, oily chap, who knows
exactly what he wants and how to get
it quickly. He joins the Gospel So
ciety and by artifice of trying to
study the white mans God and doing
the white mans chores, he manages
to obtain an English education with
out cost. The white people who re-
joice when a heather soul is redeemed
are only too glad to aid one of these
young fellows. They feed him on
him in his studies. A little later, when
he has obtained what he wanted. they
are grieved to find him just as devout
a Buddhist or Shintoist as ever.
The day has gone by when people
Of the Pacific Coast admired the Japan
ese. At first they welcomed him, after an
unpleasant experience with the Chi
nese. Neither Oriental is a favorite.
but If Californians were compelled TO
choose between them they would pre-
fer the Chinaman. The Chinaman
docks by himself and never butts in
where he is not wanted. He is usually
a man of his word, and after making
hard bargain he will keep it, He does
not quarrel with outsiders. His hatchet
and pistol are exercised almost eXclu-
sively in his own highbinder scraps,
which concern the whites not at ALL
THE Jap, as he is found and developed
on this Coast, is often a trickster, quar-
relsome totally unreliable, and other
wise offensive. No doubt that the Jap
in an American community is far from
being the quaint, cleanIy, honest, smil-
ing little fellow he is pictured to be at
home. There is enough of the Malay in
him to keep him at cross purposes with
the white man at all times. The less
said of the japanese women who infest
San Francisco the better.
INsoLENT AND RIoToUs
Japanese immigration did not be-
come a serious matter until about the
time of the Spanish War. Japanese
laborers were then imported, into Ha-
waii. At first the Hawaiian sugar plant
ers were delighted with the little brown
men. They thought they were ideal
laborers until the camps became little
hells on earth with continual squab-
bles. AS the Japs increased in number
they became more inso1ent and made
life unbearable for all other laborers
Now the Hawaiians are anxious to get
rid of the Japs. who are pouring in and
making themselves exceedingly offens-
i've. Since the Russo-Japanese War the
little men are very conceited- 1t is no
uncommon thing in Hawaii, and even
I'm California, to hear a Jap boast that
the Americans dare not exclude him. He
is sure his country can whip the United
States or any other country. This is
fine sentiment, abstractly considered,
but its avowal on frequent occasions in
mixed company is not conducive to
peace on earth"
The entire result of review of the
japanese identifies them as a people
which 1t is TO the advantage of Amer
leans to keep as far away as possible.
United States Consul Miller says:
Fifty per cent of the Japanese who
come before the American surgeons
prior to embarking 70 San Francisco
are affected with trachoma, that terri
BILE malady peculiar to the Oriental. The
disease is very easily communicated:
any one coming in contact with the
towel used by an infected person is
liable to be made a victim" Notwith-
standing such precautions as are taken
at both ends of the voyage, this dis
ease is well in evidence on the Pacific
Coast
1t is not question whether we want
to be good to the Jap or treat him
with respect; 1T is not a question
whether he is a willing worker and
DllBnL ana lulcllBGnL II Is
not whether he wants education at
our expense or not; in fact, ii is not at
all a question as to what he wants The
only question is, do the American peo-
pie want him?' If this question is an
sWered in the negative. and it unques-
tionably will be, as a result of the
sweeping investigation and agitation
encouraged by the Presidents mes
sage, then the principal business of all
offiZQnC fG n for laQfSl1 tim
to fit the end sought
MTsDIRECTED BENEVoLENCE
It is a sweet and philanthropic de-
sign, put forward by some sentimental
lists, for our people to cultivate and
educate all the peoples the sun shines
on. The eleemosynary idea of raising
all others to our standard is certainly
a very commendable one, but it lacks
the essentials which look toward sue
cess. The opening up of our ports to
a practically free immigration of Jap
anese with the hopeful purpose in
view of cultivating them among our
people is a sort of planned activity
which when compared with the gen.
orally condemned acts of the individ-
ual spendthrift (who merely throws
away his money! makes the latter ap-
pear as shrewd and designing finan-
ciering The wholesale plan of be-
tive would result in an expense bill al
most beyond computation in money.
But the gradual dragging down of our
economic and moral standards to the
Oriental basis presents a probable cost
and net loss beyond the calculation of
money or of price.
IT must ever be borne in mind that
wherever and whenever the white man
comes in competition with the Asiatic
the white man goes to certain indus
trial and moral defeat. And have we
not now among US people who might
be and could be bettered-people who
give promise of good citizenship, and
hope for benefit to our country? If it
is conceded that the Japanese must be
educated and enlightened at our ex-
pense, let us send to Japan a corps of
school teachers and technical instruct
ors. men of knowledge, to assist the
Japanese on their upward course and
forward their interests in making Asia
for Asiatics," and at the same time as
sist in preserving the white mans
country for the white man. But as for
freely admitting the Japanese into the
United States, to degrade our people in
Industrial competition and to reduce
our social standard by personal con-
tact and association, let us see to ii
L. T. - =