Behind these representatives was an intelligent. conscientious public sentimentusiversal in a cornstituency as honest. generous. intelligent. courageous. and humane as any in the Republic. It had been said that the advocates of Chinese restriction were to be found only among the vicious. unlettered. foreign element of California society. To show the fact in respect of this contention. the Lesislatsre of California in 1878 provided for a vote of the people pon th question of Chinese immigration (so called) to be had at the general election of 1879. The vote was legally taken. without excitement. and the response was general. When the ballots were counted. there were found to be 883 votes for Chinese immigration and 154.638 against it. A similar vote was taken in Nevda and resulted as follows: 183 votes for Chinese immigration and 17.259 votes against it. It has been said that a count of noses is an inefleetnal and illusory method of settling great questions. but this vote of these two States settled the contention intended to be settled . and demonstrated that the people of all others in the United States who know nmost of the Chinese evil. and who are most competent to judge of the necessity for restriction. are practically unalimous in the sttpport of this measure. Is it to be supposed that this vote of California was the effect of an hysterical spasm. which had suddenly seized the mninds of 154.000 voters. representing the sentiment of 800.000 people?
Keywords matched
immigration