The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-12-12
Oriental Immigration.

turer; then why not q protection to the
laborer who makes the mills possible?
These people who would come to COM
pete with our native labor, debase his
standing and compel him to adopt
scale of living too primitive to suit
even the most careless and listless la
borer whose skin is white. No, we
don't want him and we will not have
him. With the protection enjoyed by
capital, we demand a similar attention
to the iab0rers who, up to this time,
have made our nations furnaces and
spindles profitable. 1t is the coolie la
bor of the Orient against which the
white man demands protection. 1t is
not that these despised hordes offer re-
lief, when white help is scarce. No,
not this. We may need them at this
particular moment, but it is of tomor-
row we consider. The great mass of
our people will suffer from the change
wrought in the course of a very brief
period of ftime-the lowering of stand
ard of living which we will not VEN
ture.
This is white mans country, and
we have weaknesses enough of our own
without admitting new and untried
experiences certain to follow with un-
restricted admission of these people
whom we have reason to mistrust. No,
we don't want them, for we have q
present duty 10 consider toward our
own race. We must not disregard the
rights of our own people. No nation
dare do this. We as a nation may just,
ly decide whom we may admit and
whom we may bar out. A citizen has
the undisputed right to invite whom
he will to his home and table: so, too,
our nation may exercise this same
Judgment in naming its future citizen
ship. The citizen knows why he pre-
fers to invite and make welcome
certain persons; and why he refuses
the same courtesy to others; and SO,
too, may nation say we will not in
vite, nor admit these people with the
vices and peculiar characl eristics of
another and disliked population. We
want class of people whose habits
and civiliz alton will not debase, but
who will be gladly welcomed in every
port of our land California has told
the sister states that the Oriental is an
individual not wanted, and we have
reason to believe that they know what
! they are saying and why. Then let us
remember that since we have problems
, sufficient to keep as busy with a mil
lion related people to assimilate every
year, that we must not add like mum
ber of people absolutely impossible
: Vices a-plenty come to us by the ship
load from countries of Europe which
: 1--WE can't turn awaE but which keel
ourreformers and philanthropists busy
We, as nation, are confronted by |
duty, not a theory. We cannot admi
! these people whose acts both ammo.
and chagrin us. The Japanese ar
really new nation, but because o
their victory over contingent of tn
Caucasian race, they have grown quit
. "heady." 1t is not, proper, nor is
= necessary that we address ourselves t
> this delicate question by applying "ur
= desirable" or any of the epithets hel
= aided at people considered inferior an
= dependent. We need not assail thei
egotism and pride, but they being 8
70 different to US that we may simply so
to them: We believe that we ca
= never assimilate your people into
~ semblance of satisfactory citizenship
= and we don't want your coolie labo
" Keep it, use ity and we'll take OF
% chances, in the worlds markets In con
70 petition with this-your surplus labt
- producing merchandise in your Ow
es land, il, your own furnaces and b
lmeans of your own looms. Com
aej among us as visitors and we'll retur
rs the compliment, but for Gods sab
al don't bury our nation's hopes by ri
ve ing us another shaded problem.
baI believe 1t the grayest Of nations
:. errors. to permit the admission Of ar
:. Asiatic to permanent citizenship,
" prolonged residence IN onr midst. ar
10 to seriously contend to the contrary
fnotking less than obtnneness and pc
a. versity. stsf - 81 4 9
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