Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-10-06

prosperity will be scattered 20 the foul
winds ~ this equity il 10 be published
20 the world as the place TO which %
cial sgitatsrs can safely resort to try
their experiments of mob Iav. You sii
here todsy Is tse eIponents Of the
good sense, the fearlessness, the love OF
Law and tbe determined will of thi.
community. Let it be seen by yoal
promptItnde and irmness that il is the
Law loving and peaceful citizens who
Weld here both the sceptre and the
sword.
Ladies and gsutlemes, your special
duty IL to inquire Of crime, bat, &C sord.
ing to time honoIed usage, your func-
ton extends beyond that. Il Is your
privilege, and may De for the common
advantage, to report the existes 9e of
public mischief, for relief against
which no adequste legislation exists.
A report Of that nature, temperate tut
irm in tone, aud abounding IN mani
fest good sense, transmitted from this
Court, would command a respectful
bearing. either in our Legislature or in
Congress, and would probably be fol
lowed speedily by efficient remedial
measures.
The business depression which affects
our local industries is not caused by,
although it IL related TO, the presence Of
the Chinese. It has to do with larger
snd more compelling causes. All ma
tnre Ia rhythniSal. All things sbb and
flow and have their mean. Ths sbb is
correspondent to the food. In every
age and community, as related 10 every
other. there IL a certain proportion BE-
ka al ali ~
classes, from which there can be no sus-
tanned variation consistently with the
maintenance of a high degree Of business
prosperity. In the rush and flush OF
good times, there is a tendency to let
the rate of wages rise above the normal
level. and there IL at the same time a
tendency in the laboring class to shrink
below It's normal proportion. When
bard times ensue these tendencies are
reversed, wages fall below the mean,
and the laborine class is swelled BY
additions from other classes till il
reaches and exceeds its proper ratio.
The concurrence of these reversed ten
denotes. IL long cont nued or powerful,
necessarily produces temporary strait
ness and suffering, especially among she
poor. Our poor here are only expert
cncing what we all know, or should
knew. is nov being felt still more griev-
ously in other o ,rts Of the continent.
But times will change. Flood follows
ebb. Subject TO certain modifying in
fiaences, Hood Is proportioned to the
ebb. The present ebb tide of distress
had its measure given by the food tide
Of prosperity which preceded it, and IL
will give Its own measure 10 the feod
tide Of prosperity thai is to follow.
These tidal phenomena are great mo-
tions of the sea. No Canute can stay
them. To try to correct them by vio-
lenoe is the folly Of Serxes. They will
obey the rebuke Of no man but One.
A new community is naturally more
or less tributary to one or more watch
are older. Capital necessarily comes
from the older community. II is in
vested in the newer and the income
from the investment is returned to and
spent in the older. In this way, Wash
iugton Territory has been for a long
time tributary to California, and still 10
to a greater or less extent tributary to
the East and to that State, paying out
from its magnificent resosroes annually
an immense subsidy in return for the
use of very disproportionate amount
conditions there would be more than
compensation by q living current of cit
izen laborers flowing in to do the work
which capital seeks to have done !; and
the newer country, while paying tribute
in its produce, would be receiving a
much more valuable tribute from vari-
Gus sources In the shape of lsborine cit
liens, each Of whom would be q resident
capitalist TO the extent Of his earnings
and the amount OF work he had IN him.
But the facility with which the Chinese
have access to these shores makes our
conditions different from those that have
attended the growth of communities east
of the Rocky Mountains, and the differ
ence is such as tends greatly TO dwarf
and disturb our developement.
As 10 seems to me the presence of the
Chinese on this coast ia q real grievance.
the substantial mischief Of which can
be summed up under five heads;
First-Under-oompetItiye chespuess
of Chinese labor. fhis il owing TO ir-
reducible differences between Chinese
and American modes of living. IL Sc
cures to the Chinese an exclusive mon
opoiy Of labor supply, 10 whatever ex-
tent the demand for such labor as they
furnish eau be absorbed.
Second-Alienaee OF Chinese labor.
This prevents that geometric increase
In citizen population, which would fol-
low the influx of white labor.
Third-Expors Of the earnings of the
Chinese. This pats their labor on the
footing of foreign import. makes rs
in a q use tributary 70 China, and pre-
vents that geonstrio increase in wealth
which would follow the expenditure and
Of their earnings here.
Fourth-Padding cot the population
with the Chinese element. which has to
be protected, kut which is unavailable
for protecting. whether against enemies
foreign or domestic.
Fifth-Race and class irritation, which
is q perpetual menace to social order,
and necessitates either an sbnormally
expensive civil service, OF never endin g
TO riot, an insecurity to prop
erty and life, and nov and then par
exaeReration of judicial ex-
penses.
Ladies' aud gentlemen, there is in fact
q grievance, and can well understand
how public spirited citizens should de-
sire aud urge the Chinese to 90. aud
should attempt to set on foot effective
measures to indacs them TO leave. Bot
IL Is matter thai needs TO be handled
with discretion and patience. Il has
its national aspect, aud Is Of more than
local conceru. The Chinese cannot,
with any immediate advantage TO white
labor, be unseatsd by local uprisines.
Capital 10 not % wedacd 10 place or en-
that 10 can be held there and
pusished into Substituting one sort OF
labor for another. Widespread national
action is required 10 solve the Chinese
problem. Misguided persons may suc-
ceed possibly at some place or other In
setting of Q frishtful explosion OF an
bat our peaceful ccmuunities
generally are not going 90 consent TO
nor tolerate the expulsion OF the Chi
uess by lswiess violence. To drive Chi
uese labor from this spot, while it 10
stiIl allowed 10 be used al other local
lilies on this coast, or evsn 10 ALLOW TINS
potut 10 be ased ~ the Initiative OF
widespread concerted explosive effort,
will certainly result in tue paralysis OF
shose local industries in which Waite la
Dor seeks here 10 and employment and
which give 10 Seattle and King county
a great degree Of their relative import
anes. without industries there Is no
demand for labor. Industries cannot
survive unless capital sustains them.