National Republican., 1885-09-11
CHINESE LAuNDRrEs MUST GO.
The WoInan's National Industrial
League Says Leprosy Is Being Intro
duced Into tho Deuartnents by Them,

The Woinan's National Industrial
League Says Leprosy Is Being Intro
duced Into the Departments by Them.
At a meeting of the woman's National In.
dustrlal League held pursuant to notice, the
following preamble and resolutions were unan-
imously adopted;
Whereas this league has witnessed with
alarm the increasing number of Chinese
loundries snringing up in our cities there
being moro than ility In Washington
bread is taken from widows Of workingmen
and soldiers who have heretofore found EN-.
ployment in doing the washing Of the towels
Of the government departments, thereby en-
abling them to earn scant living for them
selves and those dependent on thcm; and
whereas the laws Of Congress are very strln-
gent against the landing of the Chinese in this
country, as detrimental! TO the public good, q $
competitors for the labor which rlghtfully be-
longs to the female industrians Of the United
states, and as liable to Introduce into our
country that dread disease, lcprosy which has
bailcd the skill of the most eminent physi.
cinns OF all countres--a person afflicted with
which Is looked upon with horror by man.
Resolved, That thcact of robbing the soldiers
and workingmens widows of this city of the
washing, of the towels of the departments by
Secretaries Lamar and Manning and letting
out the same in the interest of Chinese laun.
dries merits our Just indignation and solemn
protest,
Resolved That the industrians OF this country
are entitled to the support aud countenance OF
the general government against foreign com.
petitors, such as the Chinese, and that the good
of the public and the health Of the country do.
mand that the Chinese laundries shall go and
that II becomes the duty of the administration
ana our lnw-giveTs TO recommend and pass
such laws that will protect the industrlais of
this country from the further encroachment of
these heather barbarians, and the community
from the Introduction by them of that hideous
and loathsomc disease known as loprosy, which
has been hitherto unknown in our land.
Resolved, That the encouragement given
these Chinese laundries by Secretary Lamar
Of the Interior, aud Secretary Manning, of the
Treasury, In letting out the washing of the
towels of their departments by contract-thus
benefting the Chinese aud subcoutractors-
cNcites the indignation of this league and
merits the scorn OF our whole people, irrespec.
Resolved, That copy of this preamble and
resolutions be sent by tho president OF this
members of the Cabinet, and speaker of the
House, and president OF the Senate.
The president, Mrs. Charlotte Smith, being
called upon TO address the league, responded
Chinese. In commencing her address, she
alluded to the recent eloquent remarks of
Archbishop Lynch Of Toronto, delivered on the
lepers of Tracade, n B. She described leprosy
as the most loathsome of all diseases. and drew
vivid picture of the terrors which would be
introduced In this country BY the Chinese un-
less they were driven from our land. Once
introduced here, 1t could never be eradicated.
The laundry would be the agent in spreadin &
the disease. II had already dono 30 In this
CITY, the victim being beautiful young lady,
whose friends, horror struck. hied her away to
some secret retreat, the locality her physicians
re iuse TO reveal, and also in Chicago, the phy-
sicians tracing the origin back TO n collar
coming from a Chinese laundry, the case being
that of young man.
Mrs, Smith here alluded to the false economy
Of the Secretaries In awarding the washing to
| the heathen Chinee to the exclusion of tho
| neutrality-suspicious. as being penny wise and
pound;ioolish. Independent OF the wrong in
hicted, the leprosy was liable to creep into the
| which our city would trembe. A thrilling
account was given by Mrs Smith of another
| Chicago case, In which customer of a Chinese
laundry was attacked with leprosy, and his
| friend visited the laundry aud found a hideous
| leper hid behind curtain iu the laundry
The sight was revolving. The Chinese, who
nursed and cared for the leper washed aud
ironed the clothes OF his customers until at last
| the unfortunate youth was given disease
which, under the, old law OF Moses, renders
him sight too horrible to look upon, and
acclrSed of God and man.
selfdefense, remarked Mrs. Smith, is the
| first law of nature, and If the government Will
not protect us from those people 1t is our duty
| TO protect ourselves, by submitting our solemn
| protest and appealing to tho manhood and
womanhood OF America to sustain US In ouI
demand that the Chinese shall go-carrying
| with them their diseases and forever free our
female industrians from competition which
would inevitably bring stavation to the homes
| of the labor element of tho country.
| pScolhcs tuc Imperative uuIy VI tlie inuu y
| trial element of the country, male and female,
to have some concert of action in demanding
| their rights of the administration and of Con
| gress. The time has come when we must
| work, not talk, and raise such din around
the ears of our rulers that will force them To
| grant tho industrians an equal show in all en-
| ployment meted out by the government
After alluding to the small reforms proposed
by this administration, and the injustice meted
| out to the industrial women by Messrs. Lamar
| and Manning, Mrs. Smith declared she would
| never cease to battle until the rights, privi
| leges, and immunities of women were placed
| on Il firm footing.
On concluding her address, this resolution
was submitted and unanimously adopted:
Resolved, That the thanks Of the Woman's
League are rendered the president, Mrs. Char
lotte Smith, for her admirable address, and
that the secretary report the substance thereo
for the public press