Its standard of life is in consequence of a low and degrading order. Under our existing social arrangement the rate of wages is finally determined by two controlling factorsfirstly. by the law of supply and demand as applied to the total numbers of toilers who offer their labor for sale. labor being a marketable commodity. the only thing the laboring man has for sale. and secondly. by the standard of life of the toiler. by that portion of the results of his exertions which he is content to accept as the sum required for him to live on. It would be a sheer waste of time for anyone to try to show on this floor that this socalled standard of life of the American workingman is immeasurably and infinitely higher than the standard of life of the Chinese coolies. No one but a hopeless imbecile would contend for a moment that it is not. It would be an absurdity to undertake to make the comparison. No one is so ignorant of these relative conditions but that he knows. as he must know. that the standard of life of the Chinese coolies is as far below the standard of life of the American toiler as the foothills are beneath the summit of the loftiest mountains. snowcapped and sun crowned. The American toiler demands enough for himself for his honest work. and rightfully demands it. to keep himself and his family in comfort and a little besides for the inevitable rainy day. an extra dollar after all the bills are paid on Saturday night. He is entitled to a good house to live in and to rear his family in.
Identified stereotypes
Chinese coolies have a low and degrading standard of life.