Year: 1870




AT a meeting of the working.
menin Rochester, few days since,
, the following letter from Hon.
Horatio Seymour was read:


UTICA, August 8, 1870.


SIR: l put off until this time
my answer to yonr letter asking
me to speak to meeting at Roeh-
ester upon the subject OF Chinese
immigration, as I hoped it would
be in my power to do SO. / am
sorry that | cannot attend. ALI
agree that this is a grave subject.
1t is one that must be met and it
must be met now. Strong infiu-
enees are at work to open the food
gates and pour in upon us the
worst classes of overcrowded Chi
ma. They can get to our shores
at less cost, and in greater num-
bers than the people of Europe.
1t they continue to crowd in, they
will overthrow the customs, civil
cation and religion of the whole
Pacific coast, and they will also
crush down the position of the Ia
boringclasses throughout our coun-
try. am against this. | am
not willing they should gain foot
hold here. No nation in Europe
would suffer such an invasion.
II Britain, Germany or France
should allow any thing of the kind,
their governments would be over
thrown. Why should we give up
our civilization in any part Of the
country for that of Asia?


1t is said that we want cheap
labor. We do not want cheap Ia
Dor, but well paid labor. Interest
as well as justice and humanity
call for this. If all who labor in
this country took the same wages
and spent as little money as the
Chinese laborer, our Government
would be bankrupt and business
would shrink up. Well paid la
Dor spends freely with the busi-
ness men and fills the National
Treasury by the imports and du-
ties it pays upon what it uses. This
is the whole source of our fnan-
cial strength as compared with
other people. IF labor is brought
down to the Chinese standard,
there will at once be a difference
in the condition of classes which
will in the end, overthrow our
Government. We pay higher tax.
es and interest than any other
people, and if the price Of labor
is put down to Asiatic rates, capital
will swallow up the earnings of
toll more rapidly than was ever
yet done in the history of nations.
II this is to be our future we have
lost in vain nearly a million lives
in the late civil war. 1t is not the
object of the Government to un-
dersell others, to pinch ourselves
that we may pinch others. The
great end of craftsmanship is to
give comfort and plenty to each
home, and to take care that labor
is well paid. We should seek to
give happiness to each fireside
circle, and not to fill the Golfers
of capitalists.


1t is said by some if we shut out
Chinese immigration, We do 80 In
the face of all our former profes
sions. This is not so. We invite
European immigration, because it
adds to our power and happiness.
Europeans do not overthrow our
customs, religion, or civilization.
They do not bring here any strange
blood. 1t has always been our
practice to shut out any immigra-
ton that is hurtful. We send
back to Europe criminals or pau
pers, by virtue of State and Ma
tionaI laws. Every city and town
guards against incomers who en-
danger social order or safety. We
are in no way bound to let into
our public system any mischiev-
GUS elements. II we believe in
our religious creeds, in the form
and principles of our Government,
then we must believe that Asiatic
creeds and customs are baleful.
To-day we are dividing the lands
of the native Indians into States,
counties and townships. We are
driving off from their property
the game upon which they live,
by railroads. We tell them plain.
Ily they must give up their homes
and property and live upon corn
ers of their own territories, because
they are in the way of our civili-
cation. If we can do this, then
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