Year: 1878

In our article last week we reached the
conclusion that the present embarrassing
phases Of the labor question are not the
result of low wages as compared with the
past that the day-laborer is not the only
sufferer, and that if any movement to-
ward higher prices is made on the ground
Of low wages, il is equally demanded by
a large majority Of all the employed clas-
ses but that such n movement cannot
be made except as a direct demand out
side Of all justice and in direct antago-
nism to all monied interests.


We now 60 a step further. The most
common and by far the most popular
outcry on this coast is against the cheap
labor OF the Chinese, and the monopoly
which they appear to hold. Men grow
bombastic, assume threatening attitudes,
and declare a war of determination
against this race, because il can be EN-.
ployed at prices which are wholly insult.
ficient to support an American citizen


Aside from all questions of national
treaties with China. and the unlawfulness
Of riotous demonstrations against this
class, the claim that the Chinaman is the
cause Of all the trouble is little less than
idiotic. To some extent he is certainly
in the way; and the same is true of every
man who holds place Of employment;
but suppose every Chinaman was at once
banished from American soil, would the
trouble end2 Not by any means, and for
several reasons: First, the large major
ity of Cinnamon among US are employed
in places which never were filled by
American citizens and would not be IL
these were vacated; they are laundrymen
and house servants They are not ex-
tensively used in our manufacturing in
terests. The furnaces and factories and
mills of the land stand still. A few here
and there saw wood, clean streets, and
grub land. If all this work was left open
for other hands, while it is true just as a
question Of present life or death many
men would take them, it would only be
a make shift to meet a pressing want, and
these places would be abandoned at the
first opportunity.


But there is still another and much
weightier reason for not accepting the
Chinaman as the source Of the evil
When we come to the statistics Of the
best authorities. we find a most prepos-
ferrous belief has obtained in regard to
the number among US. Without giving
details, the highest reliable authority
puts the total number at 100000 about
5000 Of whom are women. Most Of these
are on this coast Before the war we had
4, ,000,0 slaves in the Southern States !;
these were employed in all branches of
industry and without remuneration, ex-
cept board and clothing If the cheap
| labor of less than 10000 Chinese has
produced the trouble among the laboring
classes to-day, how is it that 1000 600
slaves employed for three quarters of a
century in cheaper labor did not do it +?
/ But even this is not a fair statement OF
/ the case. If we deduct the women, and
those who are in business for themselves
with invested capital, it is safe to say
there are not $4,000 Chinese in the way
Of the working classes. We do not seek
to cover the many evils Of the Chinese
nor the danger by their presence among
us; but the hue and cry that they are the
cause Of all the labor trouble will need
further notice when we are told why
cheaper labor by more millions than we
have thousands of Chinese did not pro


duce it; and why the property rented to
Chinese in San Francisco is constantly


increasing in value


The claim that Chinese servants have


displaced girls is another humbug. Where


is the family that would not prefer a cir


in the kitchen And who does not know


that Chinese servants on this coast ar,


paid more than girls were ever paid o
are paid now anywhere within the United