Show The Chinese Immigration Question By Wu Ting Jing Fang NE of f the most puzzling pu Ung problems problems problems lems that tha confronts this ONE country ia Is I the th immigration ration question que In days gone pile by byI I when the country was young there were forert fo s to be cleared wild ani animals animals mals to be killed and savages to be driven away before the land way w ready fo human humai habitation then it was that immigrants were absolutely ab necessary for its development I Under such uch circumstances your fore foret forefathers forefathers fathers wisely W lel encouraged immigration from ail countries and held out the he be in lip inducements Ini of a new home to settlers tOm from every er of the globe Un Under der this liberal policy the United States grew from front a Confederacy of thirteen states to a mighty nation h ed by rapid strides from ocean to ocean The population has risen from to nearly Millions of acres or ot O land have been brought under cultivation Even deserts desert have been made to bloom by irrigation The re suit t is I that the whole country ia is acres U occupied pled pied by a busy bony and enterprising pop population p pI I Now a different phase of othe i tile 4 immigration Question presents itself The times have bave changed and the con of the country has with them It would be a suicidal poI pol poliy iy I y to give cs lS r much encouragement to immigration now that the thu country is ts fairly populated as when there was q not one inhabitant to a square otile Ue Congressional legislation Yi 1 foe few f Its purpose the restriction of Imm tion is the natural outcome You observe that I agree with those who ho h hold Bold that this country needs re ye restrictive restrictive immigration laws But Bat in or der to produce good results such laws should be general in their scope They should not single out any anyone one people for exclusion or make invidious dis die distinction distinction Unction between nations or countries Criminals paupers illiterates and those vho ho are liable to become a pub public public lic lie charge ought not to be allowed to toland toland toland land i l of race and national nationality ity In this connection I cannot help belp I I touching upen upon a subject which concerns the welfare of my countrymen You know kuo of course that I refer to the ex exclusion e of Chinese from this country Their exclusion Is brought about you are probably aware by special and not by general gener l laws It is a discrimination dl discrimInation nation against the people of a particular particular ular country It has bas often been contended for tor ex cx example ample that if the bars bers of exclusion lon were ere to be lie let down this country would be flooded with millions upon millions of Chinas surplus population Let us WI examine the real facts of the case The TIle population of the whole em empire pire phe of China ThI a Is I commonly supposed su to tobe tobe tobe be in round numbers but conservative estimates by foreigners for who sum been eeR Matting m hi China make i 3 not DOt mart mOe than t aDIt HD Mft m It should be remembered that Chin to b m a country countr which occupies an ax Immense territory t tory and Is fully tully able to support this 11 Immense e population The truth is that all the Chinese that are in the United States come ome froin only one single BIngle province in China nay from a few districts of that province Who WIto has bas ever met a Chi Clil Chinese nose nese in this th country outside of the consular and diplomatic service who I hails hai from any allY other oUter province titan then the province p ee of This TIlls peer ince bee has a population of ac according according according cording to the most trustworthy esti estimate estimate estimate mate But of this population only about live Jive in those districts which solely supply Chinese immigrants to this country Suppose SUp every ev y obstacle to the free admission of Chinese e to the United States should be removed does any an man luau in his sober senses really believe that the entire population of f of thorn e districts would Immigrate to I I this country Let me briefly state what at first led the Chinese to come to the United States S t Some years after the discovery of gold in California the Ute report reached Chine China A few adventurous spirits of those days in Canton Canto the capital of province buoyed up by the hope of finding gold and making ma ing their fortunes braved the hardships and privations privation of ofa a long ocean voyage vo age and landed upon American soil BOil Soon after the Ute gold fever had sub subsided subsided 1 sided a tremendous demand for labor was created by b the construction of the transcontinental ran lines Unas and American agents were sent to China to procure Chinese laborers who are known to be patient obedient and sober workmen It will be seen that the discovery of gold In California brought Chinese to America and the th presence of Chinese laborers in country alone made the construction of the transcontinental lines possible sibie po In order to produce pr Huce an influx of Chi Chinese Chinese nese there then must he be some demand maDd d in inthis inthis this country similar to that created cr ted by bythe bythe the tb discovery lf of or gold and the tiun tinH of railroads There Is Ia none of or this thu character nowadays Under such cir clr the of 0 Chinese east can cannot not be very great gnat The Chinese Chine e are a people that have sat an eye to business If It they hear bear that tt they y cannot find lInd in inthis inthis this country better b opportunity for tor making money they tHy will remain in I their own country It is a curious fact that the econom economical economical economical I ical conditions of China at the present day da resemble those Uio of the e t United d States immediately after A the civil var war The prospect pro of a settled nettled period of peace has baa given a tremendous u us impetus to the launching ot of great industrial and engineering enterprises Railroad b is 18 sure to engross the resources and energy of the whole empire for some years to coats coale This Tills mesas means that China will have need n at home of all ail the labor at her h r command c In proportion ties tion as the demend demand for labor Increases I there will be less s labor Ibor available for emigration to other othet countries i Competition cast can any take t ke place be between between tween individuals of ot tHe t same MIne class elus elusIs Is it correct to doctors tors corn com compete pete with lawyers laborers are not in the te seine same ne class es wih with Amer American ican kI laborers yo kh f A u e i f greeter grent gr r in intelligence Intelligence and skill kl than that tat done dene by Chinese Chine laborers laborer The Chinese laborer is more or less lessa a machine He competes with wih ma machines ia machines I chines chines while the American Amrin laborer is the guiding hand band that directs dirt the th va various various various rious motions necessary nry to produce a given I do not say esy y there are areno aren areno no n Chinese laborers that can with wt laborers but bt such suh can n find fn plenty of work in ID China Chin said ad It I is not necessary n for them tm to t come cometo Reo to this country to earn er a livelihood The Chinese laborer has h a place pIce pJ in the th development of o this t country With Without Wt Without out him hint thousands ta of oC acres ace of waste waite land hind ld in is the th west wet would wold never nver nave have lve been ben reclaimed and thousands thusn of miles of railroads would woul never have been ben bunt built If I he had b never set foot fot upon American soil sl the development of the west Wait wet would have been set st back bk at least lt ten years yes It I may ay be b asked ake whether these U public works work could not ot have in been done by American labor But that ut case c for lack Jck of sufficient labor laborthe laborthe the th cost Ct of construction would have bave been so s enormously Increased as a to render such undertaking out dut of the question From Prom an economical point of view vew the Chinese ChinN are regular pioneers pioneer in preparing the th way for the te advent avent and establishment of a community of more advanced adan developments development Now ow that the transcontinental lines Jn have been corn com completed cm how 0 ninny many Americans have de derived tired rived red their ther daily bread bred from fm the work working working ing of these lines linee Jn It I to is I Chinese Cines labor laborin in the first place that rendered rende the em employment employment ent of white whit labor possible p Some Som laboring men mR in this country make mk the mistake of supposing that tt the Ue amount of o wages to t be b divided among the laborers I in the country cUy is Ic isa isa Ica a constant quantity According Accorn to t thin theory ther it I is to t their interest to shut MUt others other out ou so s that tt they the have more wages ge to divide among mong on themselves But this is a wrong assumption Labor produces wealth The more wealth la Ia labor laI t Te her bor bu produces the greater will wI be b their I opportunities Every Eve industry that comes into Int ex cx existence iten creates crete a demand dem for labor Take Tle the te California fruit fri industry for example It I is 18 true tue that gives work primarily to those tho who wl work In i the groves But consider the th thousands outside oute who wh AIt products before bore they reach the consumers the packers the shippers the te train tran hands the men that load and unload the cars the Job Jobbers jb jobbers bers and the fruit frit sellers on street cor corners corners corners ners all aU making their living more Ire or orless orless orless less out of the raising of fruits fuit The same may be b said i of ot every application of labor which scatters sater benefits far farand farand farand and wide wie But it i may be asked aked What is to prevent overproduction Overproduction seems to be b the bug bugbear bugbear bugbear bear of some people Can there ever be a superfluity of good things thing Only sonic some BOm years yrs ago ao the fruits of Cali California Cal California fornia foria could only be b found on OI the ta tables t bios bles ble of the rich while tons of the most mt delicious dicius kinds rotted rote under the trees tr for lack of transportation facilities lUe Now the prices of California C fruits fruit are ar within the reach rech of all al Is not hot this a blessing By all al means mens let the te good goo work go goon goon goon on Let labor produce as much muc as possible without let or hindrance Then all aU the comforts and conveniences convenience of life will wi be within the te reich reh of not nt only the rich ric but ut also als of the th general gnel mass maN of people We are ae all al consumers We cannot have bave too many of the good things of or life lU J l m syre me JJ U even the t working men of ot o this country countr who are intelligent if they the study the question dispassionately and carefully will see that instead of harm only good comes to them from abundance In any case cas it I will wi be b found that the presence of Chinese Chine laborers is i not detrimental to the interests of this country If however it I be b considered advisable l to legislate le te against the coming coring of laborers to t this country let lt such a law lw be b made me applicable to t alt all al and ad as a well el as a Chi Chinese The aim of the American nose nese ne te gov government government government at st first was W only to regulate limit and an suspend sus nd the coming coming of Chi nose nese laborers For lr this purpose three high commissioners were we sent seat lat to t China Chinato China to negotiate a treaty with wih China C The Chinese government was wu very unwilling to make meke mke such sc a treaty tty and only consented cemented after ater a great gat deal dea of persuasion per n The T treaty thus concluded expressly states s te that tat the limitation shall be reasonable and shall shah apply only to Chinese who wIs wl may my come to the United Unite States as a laborers other classes not nt being bein included in the limitation These Te are the words of the solemn treaty agreed a to by the governments nt of the th United States and China in 1880 ISSO What has ba happened since We find that laws have been enacted one after r another each ea being more severe seere than the one oe before not only against Chi Chinese Chines ness nese nes laborers Jrr but other classes of Chi Chinese Chinese nese ne also ateo It I must be conceded that a mu conce the existing law works not only hard hardships hardships ships to the persons concerned conr but it itis itis is II injurious to t the commercial CI inter interests eMs ests e of this country also a It I is to t be b hoped h that some sm steps step tep will wU b be taken to torm remedy rm things th this unsatisfactory state ste of I am sure sr that with the th intelligence of f the th American people pp and their sense of fair play they will wl not eD enat enaA an any measure m itt 1 guarding their supposed interests for the purpose of oppressing Int t put a I people who wh are ar not nt in a position to retaliate I feel fel confident they will wl conscientiously do what is right The Te best bt principle to follow In government Tte and an legislation ia In II to put ones self sel in inthe Inte inthe the posItion of another In other othe words te wor it is 18 the th golden rule that tbt ought to govern the te action actio of legislators and ad statesmen 8 ten If I this ti principle of o action aton hi is I adopted in all al cases e the te American I people ppl will m have not nt only ony a good guy gov government a ermet the world but the best government t in inthe Inthe 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