Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1914-10-10
wITHYcoMBE AND
CHINESE LABOR



fact that Chinese were excluded and
styling Governor Pennoyer demagogue
for the part he played in the deporta-
tion OF coolies. Among other things,
DR.. Withycombe said;
"a great mistake was made in the
past by shutting out Chinese labor,
which had begun TO clear the land in
the Willamette valley. Agitators IRON
San Francisco came up and, assisted
by demagogues in Portland, carried the
people of Oregon off their feet and
caused the Chinese to be driven out.
Our people did not nave the courage of
their true convictions and made great
blunder through thus being swayed by
faddists and led by mob.rule.n -
DR.. Withycombe in public letter
June 26, explained this statement as
follows:
90 said that in my opinion a blunder
was made in not permitting the Chi.
nese to continue the grubbing of this
land, as ii was entirely out of the
question TO have the work done by
white labor
''li' the Chinese had been permitted
to finish this work, Clackamas county
today would have had prosperous homes
for hundreds of families. This
great loss to our people was caused by
agiiators and demagogues
The agitation against the Chinese was
undoubtedly justified as with their dif.
ferent standard Of living they consti.
tutcd real menace to the toilers Of
the day.
In lSs5-S6 the feeling against ;he
Chinese eliminated in mass meeting
at Portland Of those whose opportunity
to labor had been restricted by the IN.
tlux Of Orientals, to devise ways and
means to Sxpell them.
a conntermeeting was called by
Mayor Gates, hut workingmen captured
il and made Pennoyer chairman. After
passing resolutions favoring law and or.
der, the meeting adjourned.
On account Of the popularity his anti.
Chinese sentiments won him, Pennoycr
was elected governor in 1886 by nIu.
rality Of 3,7O2. He was reelected in
1890 serving eight years He after.
wards served two years, from 500 to
1893, ms mayor Of Portland
President Cleveland wired the paS.
ernors of the coast states to guard
against Chinese trouble rs follows:
" Apparently reliable reports Indicate
danger Of violence to Chinese when *.
clusion act takes effect, and the presi-
dent earnestly hopes you will employ
all lawful means for their protection. 2
Pennoyer styled the president s mes
sage nm "insult to Oregon, and re-.
piled NJ follows.
so will attend to my business. Let
the president attend to his.
AT the time Of this anti Chinese agi.
tation, DR.. Withycombe was not On
American citizens, not taking out his
naturalization papets until 1888, and
therefore had, as he evidently still has,
the British view of abor--a CONNER.
cial commodity the purchaser should
have the privilege of buying in the
cheapest market. Probably in his opn.
ion we should import Hindu, Chinese
and other cheap lnbor to clenr up our
lands, as Rockefeller and the steel and
coal barons import the pauper hordes a
Europe 10 replace American labor-a
plutoctatic principle capitalists are still
Fighting for Cheap labor is an geo.
monte advantage in the eyes of the
sthnd'pot candidato--the old mud.sll
theory Of the laboicrs status.
In the progress Of humanity, this old
world aud stnndpnt view is being dis.
cardcd, The trend OF the times is to
build better citizens instead Of destroy,
ing them TO make cheaper laborers Tor
the profit Of the employers We pro
tect children from the employers greed
by child labor laws. We protect wuni.
On ny minimum wage laws, We protect
adults by compensation laws. What.
ever dcgmdos or injurcs the laborer i'm.
pairs and dogradcs the citizen,
In the SOS the Chinese were plenli.
ful all over the coast. They were ON.
ployed not only IN clearing land but nj
building railroads, mining, logging,
inrming domestic scrNico-n fnct, In
every pursuit, Wherever white mnn
or woman went TO seek labor, they had
to compete with and work alongsidc
Chinese, whose standard of living was
tar below that OF the whites, and who
could, aud did, work cheaper and there.
by fix the scale. Competition such ns
this meant, ns II always means, the
destruction of the superior race, its do.
Rcnoucy like the poor whites of the
south sustained In competition with the
African slave labor
When the Onti.Chincso sentiment cui
minated In the movement denounced by
Dr. Withycombc, Oregon was poor
state, Everywhere the field of labor
was occupied by the Chinese, excluding
the sons and daughters of the farmer
or lnborcr who sought employment
nnd their average wage was from Al to
Sl26 u day, This meant and enforced
a dollar standard of living, Permit
ting the Chinese TO come IN 10 clear
lands permitted them also 10 enter ali
Fields Of labor meant a Chinese stand.
Ntd of labor--mcuut u pconizing Of the
coust, meant race deterioration and
anulgntion
Better a few more qcrrs Of forest
than pny such a price, Better the forcst
nrmcval than It's reclamation at such
4 cost, Better await the slower up.
building Of the state ny Europeans who
viii become Orcgoniuns Hcttcr lab.
otng pcoplc who win struggle for a
higher standard of living aud hcttu
citizenship,
Dr. Withyconihc \ social As well as
nolitlcgl ldcos are Of the pnst his be-.
liets ave been outgrowu, lie Va out Of
lun"wilh the dominant thought OF the
daN The fact that hc Ia sincere and