The Washington herald., 1907-03-24

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scores OF men who knew nothing at all
at first hand about the japanese in Cali
fornia, now offers few remarks her
self
My present home is N the celery and
sugar beet land In Orange County" she
says in the Pacific outlook. I'VE have a
ranch OF $50 acres. II the people who
think japanese labor Is cheap would get
out and 90 10 ranching the Illusion would
soon be shattered
AT present we have in the ground
thirty acres Of celery. the most expen-
siye and uncertain crop with which We
have TO deal. This winter during tbs
wet season ia many Of the fields crews
Of twenty-five men were working in mud
and water up 10 their knees, trying to cut
out the celery In oIder 10 save il. Where
could we hnd the crew Of twenty-five
white men who would do this for even
one Week7
For our thirty acres OF tomatoes. fve
| acres Of cucUmbers. FIVE acres OF string
| beans. and later many acres OF cabbage
and cauiifioweT. il viii require dozens Of
men. Yet Our ranch is a mere drop IN a
bucket compared with ali the other
ranches. We must have help. Where
are we TO get it?
i IF the hundreds Of unemployed white
men Of whom We hear so much would
/ put in an appearance il would be extreme
| ly gratifying TO the ranchers OF Southern
California. Good white ranch help does
not work by the day very long in this
country. There are too many openings in
the way OF small investments for the
right sort Of man, who saves his wages
Tried Importing Foreigners.
In Fresno County one year the people
tried importing Poles. Russians. and Ar
menians to do their work. That was be-
fore the day Of the japanese. This plan
worked beautifully that year. but the next
year each imported family had home OF
It's own. and the trouble was all TO reeur
again
Chinese labor, Of course. is out OF the
question; 50 now, other than the Japa-
nese, we have no source Of supply but the
Mexican iaborer or cholo. In some re-
spects these are good workmen. II a boss
is constantly over them. but as a people
they are about the lowest II not the low
est. type ia the United states.
4 have already said some things in IA
voF of the japanese, but / win say more
They are, contrary Ia some printed state
ments. above ali things else a cleanly
people. IN every japanese camp there is
one Of their quaint bath tanks. with a
furnace underneath in which most Of
them take daily ablutiOns.
Their manners and couTteousness. ex-
eepting in few instances, are uneXcelled.
think no mother need fear for the con
tamination Of her ehild's manners because
OF the attendance Of japanese schooIboys
at our public schools. Their attention TO
every small courtesy Of life would put 10
shame thTee-fouTths Of the inhabitants Of
our beloved country. coolies or peasants
though they be.
They are a sensitive people. The love
OF the beautiful IN both natural and ma
terial things Is innate. Our beautiful
mountains. hills. and flowers are a never
ending source Of Joy 10 them, and they
like plants and flowers around them in
the kitchen and their rooms.
Honest and Generous.
They are an honest people. Once in q
while We find boy IN the field trying 20
shirk, but he either improves or quits the
Job. The rest viii not stand for H.
They are a generous people. Many
complain that they send their money back
home. While this is true 10 q certain ex-
tent. they are liberal, even lavish with
their money, in trying to adopt our ways
and dress
They are a temperate people, and
though many Of them learn TO Ike Ameri-
can beer and whisky, I have never seen
one OF them intoxicated. which is a great
deal more than can be said OF our ranch
hands.
They are a loyal people. and il seems
TO me that a people who are loyal TO
country and ruler from love OF loyalty,
would, with chance, make at least as
loyal citizens OF the United States as
those foreigners brought IN at our East
ern doors. loyal at meme, If at all. from
sheer necessity.
But. above everything else. they are
peaceable people. I do not think they
would submit TO such treatment from the
hands of the American boy as did the
Chinaman-sUcn things as the abuse
hurled at him on the street, In publis
places. or in his house, the robbing of
vegetable wagon and garden. and the sup
posed joke Of having his pigtsiI tied 70 the
seat Of a car as he got OF, so that he
was dragged along by the car.
The japanese, 1 say, would not sub
nit 70 such treatment, but they desire
peaceful relations with all their neigh
bors. They are quiet in their work, in
their homes. and in their pastimes. I have
never seen a japanese Gag unfurled at a
camp without the Stars and Stripes.
Don't Fill the JaiIs.
zone never sees a tramp among them;
they do not flI our city jails or State
prisons. do not stir up riots or strikes,
adopt extreme soeialistic measures. be-
come anarchists. fill our insane asylums.
or kill our Presidents.
But the greatest reason for the popu-
laTity Of the japanese as an employe lies
in the fact that he performs his every
task as though 1t were pleasure to give
satisfaction. We have never come in con-
tact with any other class of laboring peo-
pie Of which this Is true. The others seem
to hegrudge what should be a reasonable
service.
Now. Il one class Of immigration is 70
be restricted, restrict the other also. II
there are no restrictions on the one. do
not place them on the other I am an
American and have the interests Of my
country at heart as much as any one
In IT,
Il am but a weak woman. but II my
poor life were required for my country's
cause ! would give it gladly without a
moments wayering, so 10 one has right
10 challenge my patriotism when I thus
plead for the cause OF the japanese i'm
migrant If I am wrong I wish to be
shown it. But before the japanese are
excluded from the Coast. If II Is 70 be
DONE fer the sake Of the future of Cali
fornia pray let some one discover q meth
cd Of supplying the future demand for
manual labor