The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-11-21
Must the Chinese Go"


,.ort; Chinese crusade in Washington
territory has assumed such a mal'ghan
form that the federal authorities have peeh
obliged to interfere, President Cleveland
having recently issued a prociamatlon
admonish,ng "all evil disposed persons III
said territory to desist from their unia"lu
purposes towards the Chinese, other"is,
the military arm of the government wouio
be invoked for their protection
The proclamation was issued none '"'
soon, indeed while the president was eng"s
ed in its preparation scene was transplrihs
atTacoma, in Washington Territory, which
n, least so far as that locality is concerned
defeated its object A dispatch from Ia
coma states that on Saturday, Nov 7th, IL
accordance with notice previously served
on the Chinese, "hundreds of citizens con
rrepafed ON the streets and marched TO the
Chinese houses and ordered the occupants
10 pack their goods and leave. The order
was complied with, BY five o'clock r. NJ
their goods were packed and loaded on
draws, and the Chinese were marching
along by the side of loaded wagons on the
way 10 Lake View, nine miles south Inc
Chinese merchants were given until Wed
nesday morning to pack their goods, each
store being allowed three assistants, one
hundred and ninety-seven Chinese reached
Lake View about o'clock p NJ, and camp
ed in vacant houses" After the Chinese
had left their houses were set on fire and
burned, ivolving destruction of property
worth $4,000
At Seattle similar notice was served on
the Chinese for Wednesday of last week,
but they agreed to leave only If paid for
their property, valued at $4,000. Assuch
terms are but hooted at, the only salvation
for the Chinese lay in the Presidents pro.
Clamaticn, that of the territorial governor
calling out the local militia proving wholly
abortive.
The proclamation, with the attendant ac-
tion OF the federal authorities, was effect
i've The revenue cutter WOlcOtt during
Tuesday night steamed into port and al
daylight had two twelve Founders trained
on the Chinese quarters. Three companies
Of the 18th Infantry with battery Of arti!-
lery also arrived during the day, and the
threatened raid on the Chinese was indeh
nitely adjourned. Meantime a [. s. court
has been dealing with the leaders of the
outrage at Tacoma, many citizens having
been indicted, among whom are the mayor
of the town, a newspaper editor, the presi-
dent Of the Young Mems Christian Asso.
citation, and various other persons who have
been identified as participants in the out
RACES perpetrated on the Chinese
These Chinese were mostly drawn to
Washington territory as labOrers on the
Northern Pacific and other railroads, years
ago and before the passage of any of the
later enactments restricting Chinese i'm
migration, and after the railroads were
built settled in the towns that grew up and
engaged in all kinds of business. Their
right to stay there is fully secured TO them
by the well known Burlingame treaty,
clause of which reads as follows:
Chinese subjects, visiting or residing in
the United States, shall enjoy the same pri-
vileges immunities and exemptions in re-
spect TO travel or residence as may there be
enjoyed by the citizens or subjects of the
most favored nation.
A regularly concluded treaty between
our own and a foreign nation is as much Il
law of the land as any enactment of con
gress, and the President is obliged to en-
force it exactly like any other law. These
outrages on the Pacific coast must therefore
be stopped or Uncle Sam will have a picnic
there.