Chinese Must Go

The conflict between the workinginen' party of California and the Chinese, which luis been so long pending, and which in the interim has resnlted in sundry conflicts o greater or less magnitude, between the par tii's interested, is now approachinga perio wliere thcir various rightf, to cert:iin ex tent, will be determined. This question, when considered in all its bearings, can be called octogonicil, owing to the various interests involved of individuals, peoples, firms, corporations, States and even governinents, and can now be considered ono of the difficult problems to be solved by thia government. It needs more unbiased investigation and the carefu weighing of the different interests involved, by etatesmen, than any other that now presenta itself, on account of the fax-reaching and probable continuance of resulta, be tliey favorable or un'avorable to us. The legislature of California has recently passed a law prohibiting corporations frora employing Chinese help. . To an outsider, one who has no interests involved, the pissage of such a law seems arbitrary and despotic, for it interferes with the private coDcerns of the people, furthermore is incompatible with our boasted freedom of "lifo, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." of all those within our borders. In order to test the constitutionality of the law, Tiburcio Parrott, of the firm of Parrott & Co., of San Francisco, California, was arrested on the 21st inst. on the charge of employing Chinese in the service of the Sulphur-Bank quick silver niining company, of which he is president. Mr. Parrott has petitioned the United States circuit court for a writ of habeas corpus. The writ is made returnable on the 23th inst. It hardly seems possible that this law, which is at varianco with the spirit if not the letter of our international treaty with China, can be sustained. If we restrict the privileges of Chinamen in this country and prevent thein from engaging in honorable and lawful pursuits, we cannot expect but what their government will retalíate by passing similar laws, and powibiy they will be far more stringent and restrictive toward Auiericans in that country than will be those passed against Chinese here. In fact, we cannot expeet but what this heathen people, when they feel themselves aggrieved, will take every advantage of our countrymen that they can and may even go so far as to cxclude them from their domain, thus giving their whole trade into the hands of' our more wily English eousins across the water. This question is fraught with dcp interest to our country, and any mistake made would doubtless be fraught with great evá, and fore should not be haslily decided. While wc .'-liould deploro, as an evil, any very large euii.qration to tliis country of tliis heathon clement, still, there is do muiediate danser of' there being such an influí as to do us material injury. That tlie people of the Pacific coast are taking hold of thit ((iiostion with the determinalion that the Chinese must go, is shown by the fact tliat :i entutnittee of the board of health appointed to investígate the eondition of' the Chinese quarters in San Francisco report that they find it crowded, filthy, and that they utterly disregard all eonsiderations for the preservation of' lif'e, health and property. The report closes with a recommendation that Ohinatown bc cíjndemned as a nuisance, and calis upon the proper authorities to take the necessary steps for its abatement without delay. When they say that they disreiiard the preserratioo of property, it looks as if they go farther than the fac's will admit of, for if they are noted for anything it is thcir frugality. As tl.e Californians are nnt noted for doing anything by halvcs, thia "abatement" will probably be a pretty thorough one. It ia said that the workinguien are greatly gratified at the action taken which will meet with but little opposition, except from directly intere.sted parties, so diat the f'ull measure of the law will probably be dealt out to thein ; but wc trust that no measures will be adopted harsh enougli tobe thought worthy of e 'iividiialion by Chinese government, and that the whole question can be relegated to the background until after the l'residential content, md not enter thcrein au a factor, so tbat the whole qucslion of our future policy toward China can bc taken into consideration by our governnient unbiascd Ijy auy politieal party or faction.