Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1895. THE ANTI-CHINESE CRUSADE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5012, 29 April 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [Established 1874.] MONDAY, APRIL 29, 1895. THE ANTI-CHINESE CRUSADE.

The Minister for Labour, pandering to the multitude, has been helping the anti-Cliineso crusado in Christchurch. His treatment of this question is so illiberal that wo feel tempted to outline a Liberal view of it, although we do not consider that we are specially called upon to inculcate Liberalism, At n meeting held in Christclmrch last week, Mr Reeves spoke in disparaging terms of Asiatics with a "can any good come out of Nanareth " kind of air, which must have revolted the more intelligent amongst his audience. These were possibly reminded that Christ himself was an Asiatic, and belonged to the races despised by the New Zealand minister. Who is the Hon. Mr Reeves that ho should taboo half the human beings on God's earth and say that they must not tread on the soil of New Zealand ? Wo can excuse tho unemployed of Ohristchurch joining in a heartless anti-Chinese crusade, but we cannot forgive o Minister of the Crown in leading them on. Thcreisnofcarofan avalanchoofChiuameninthisColouy, if there were we would approve of it being regulated by law, and it is only politicians in search of capital who will-attempt to build a Chinese wall round the Colony. " To which will you. listen," writes an eminent Amevican, ,( the voioe of Almighty Providence calling for iho regeneration of China, or the small piping cry of a narrow-minded anti-Chinese crusade ?" This piping cry is to be found in the illiberal utterances of Mr W. H, P. Reeves and wo give quotation from bis speech, In Mclbournc.dcspite some inefficient laws, the Chinaman had driven the white man out of the furniture industry. New Zealand had not even the laws to protect that industry that Victoria had, for in 1888 it was pointed out that the • Bill was practically tho Victorian law I' of seven years before, Wo could never tell what Asiastios might do, because wo could never judgo of their motives. It was the opinion, however, of those best qualified to express an opinion that China might be plunged into a state of anarchy which would drive its people in masses to try to find homes in these Colonies. Again, it was objected that the matter was not pressing, and that they should not offend China and Japan, jfi n*(4 to be said -that China waa such a greajt and f jsjng Power, that we could jnotaffor/MQ m 4 ikM tWt could hardly be m W: ff. ft'lMff™ *<> put up barkers against Auntie races, jtj was better taio jjin atjmbof 'jjea'cp/ than when there wa» pjpitjejpoflt and a, great exodus of Asiatic population, They wero told that the subject was not| important, tut" a great principle—tliat Now Mpnd should be ,a country for whit* men-was important, But if anyone' desires' to find out Iwhatagreat'Liberalhasiosayon'suoh

a_question,toknow what the highest] Liberal Statesmanship has to utter I on suoh a subject wo would refer him to the following extract from a} speech .delivered many years ago by! John Bright, in which the tribune of the people pictured the future of | the United States, a country from whose slums Mr Reeves copies most' of his original ideas :

_" There is another and a far brighter vision before mo. I see one vast confederation stretching from the frozen jNortli in unbroken line to the torrid South, and from the wild billows of the Atlantic, westward to the calmer waters of the Pacific main; and I see one people, one language, and one law, and one faith, and over that wide continent, the home of freedom and a refuge for the oppressed of every race ami dime."

It does one good to turn from the miserable huxtering selfish views of a Mr Reeves to the broad humane and Christian utterances of a great liberal like Mr Bright. It was in ISG2 that the words were spoken which we have quoted and the writer has some recollection of being present at the meeting where they wero used. It is sad in 1895 to find that leaders of public opinion are a century at least behind the enlightened views of 18G2 With Mr Reeves we find ourselves drifting back into the dark ages and losing our grip of all that is great, truo and noble, and we may be excused if we go back to 1862 for an antidote.