“We understand the purpose of the laboring classes in their organizations and publications is to promote the best interests of our suffering fellow men. And this we do wherever we find a man who has fallen among thieves on the Jericho road. The fact that he has on the wooden shoes of Holland, or the queue of China, or the corduroy pants of Ireland, does not prevent our performing our duty to him as a fellow man. And any one who abuses any man because of the land of his birth deserves severe censure from every right-minded man who labors with hand or head.
“Your inconsistency, Mr. Editor, appears when in one place you say of the Chinese, ‘This town is afflicted with but few of them, thank God, and the sooner they disappear the better.’ And in another column you say, ‘We are willing to do anything possible to aid in promoting charity, but if creed or nationality is to be considered in bestowing it, just count us out.’ What is your creed? The one in which you thank God this town is afflicted with only a few of one nationality, or the one in which you propose to be counted out unless charity shall be bestowed regardless of creed or nationality? The man who tries to ride two horses is apt to fall. Inconsistency always appears ridiculous. We hope the prayer in your ‘Thank God’ does not put you under the condemnation of Proverbs 28:9.
“In behalf of every nation in America, we protest against the abuse of any people, whether they come from the banks of the Shannon, or of the Rhine or the Po, the Danube or the Hoang Ho.
“It is urged against the Chinese in one of your columns that their great sin is in the fact ‘that California has been drained of over $200,000,000 during the last twenty-five years.’ This is an average of $800,000 per year. But surely this is not a great offence, for Mr. Michael Davitt, at Madison Square Garden, New York city, recently urged ‘that millions of dollars had been sent from this country to gladden the poor Irish peasants.’ Every true man will rejoice that the peasantry of Ireland and China and Germany can be gladdened with money honestly earned by their friends in America. The heart of one peasant is as precious in the sight of the Lord as the heart of any other peasant so far as we know.
“We have always held that it was mean for a great strong man to strike a small one. When we see this done we feel like saying, ‘Take a man of your size.’ On this principle we shall never admire the 17,000,000 laboring men attacking the 125,000 now in our country. We do not believe any one has correctly sensed the heart of true workmen when he tries to win their favor by abusing the few harmless industrious celestials.
“What are the charges you have to make against these Chinese? Are they disturbers of the peace, are they thieves, are they licentious, are they riotous or drunkards or paupers? Are they the burden of our courts? If there be anything I denounce it is national prejudice. Will you denounce an Irishman because he came from Ireland, or a Chinese because he came from China? I will not. My condemnation shall fall on him who violates law and is an unworthy citizen. And then my condemnation rests, not upon his nationality, but upon his guilt. So long as any man is a quiet, law-abiding citizen, he can count me his friend. When he sins, I shall preach to him repentance and reformation.
“I am aware that the problem of foreign immigration is gigantic. But what kind of a sieve shall be used to strain the stream that is flowing into America from the Old World? The men who weave the meshes of the strainer have a Herculean task. Your readers will find it very profitable to study the ‘evils incident to immigration’ in the North American Review for January, 1884.”