Year: 1870

One fact ought to suffice to end the


vhole Chinese question, and that is, that


here is not nov, nor is it probable that


here viii be for half century to come,


ny considerable immigration from
china to this county.


China IS about twice cas- distant from


'llr shores as Europe, The cost Of run


mig vessels eRgdged in transportation IS


much higher per mile than between any


european port1and New York, on ac-


cunt of the greater cost of coal and


Jther supplies on the Bacific coast. Thus


he cost of the passage to immigrants


rom China IS and must continue to be
tery much greater than to Immigrants
from Europe.


So serious has been this obstacle to


he Introduction of Chinese, that even
with the inducements of extraordinarily
high wages IN California and Of a special
demand for house servants and for la
5orers on the Pacific Railroad, the inn
migration of Chinese has been at no
greater rate than about seven thousand
per annum, while not less than three
hundred thousand persons per annum
have come to US from Europe.


But the Pacific Railroad is built, wages
are likely to become lower in the Pacific
States, and without special inducements
the Chinese immigration win scarcely
maintain its past rate for there will no
longer be the needed inducement to cap
italists to engage in the wholesale inn
Portation of coolies.


If this movement is left to the individ-
uaI enterprise Of Cinnamon. it must al
most entirely stop. The Chinese labor
er earns at home from two to three dol
Il n. ~. L
and from It he must lay by the money
needed for his passage to America This
cannot cost much less than one hundred
dollars. But to get that much ahead of
the world would persuade the average
Chinaman to remain at home and if he
were strongly determined to emigrate, he
would much more readily 60 to any one
of a score of Chinese settlements in the
East Indies. within a few days sail of
his home, and where he would find HIM
self among his own countrymen.


OF course coolie companies may aid
the impecunious laborer but it is under
stood that they charge an enormous ad-
vance on the cost Of the passage-not
less than six times its cost, we have
heard, and with high interest added. |
Thus, though these companies may fill
special orders, they will hardly establish
a regular system of emigration.


One more point remains to be noticed. |
1t IS probable that not less than three
fourths of the European immigrants to
this country are brought over by their
relatives and friends here, who send over
their savings for this purpose. Now the
Chinaman has not this trait he saves his 1
money, but it is to return home, not to
send out for his relatives. Chinese are
scattered all over the East Indies, and
prosper everywhere; but nowhere do
they use their money to bring friends to
them. Everywhere they save money
only to return to China and spend their
old age where they were born. Here,
then, is one constant and most important |
element prospering and increasing
European emigration to our shores, |
which is totally wanting to Chinese emf
grafton.


There is, therefore, no "Chinese ques-
ton p John Chinaman is not what the
politicians call a "ive issue. .''-NezO
YORK Post