The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-10-03

great organization, such as the Knights
| of Labor, attempting to persecute others
| because they differ from them upon a ques-
| ton, yet unsolved, of so much Importance
as that OF dispensing with Chinese labor.
SUPREMACY OF THE LAW.
All citizens must yield submission to the
law. 1t was designed to prescribe what is
right and prohibit what is wrong. Do we
| suffer any grievances or hardships because
| Of it's severity or it's weakness. Ii SO, as
! sovereign citizens in a free country, let us
! unite to have the objection remedied. The
horde OF Mongolians, against whosepresence
among us the citizens are protesting, came
here under the sanction and protection of
the law, and they can only be removed by
the same authority. The laws enacted by
Congress to prevent Chinese immigration
were supposed to be sufficient to accomp-
lish that object, and for few years were
effectual, but time has. demonstrated the
fact OF their imperfection. If the laws are
unequal to the emergency, the only remedy
is to amend them. There are surely
| enough members of Congress, whose con-
| stituents are groaning under the evils re-
sulting from Chinese labor, to propose and
carry through any measure that will re-
lieve us Of this incubus.
CONCLUSION.
The signs OF the times point unerringly to
tina rapid approach of a season OF unpar
alleled prosperity all over our broad land.
The manufacturing districts give evidence
OF activity by the first notes 81 the hum of
| machinery. The large commercial centers
and business marts display unusual hustle.
The white sails and the putting OF stea IN
show business for the merchant marine.
The smile OF the farmer and merry laugh OF
his wife indicate brisk demand for the
staff of life. The whistle of the locomotive,
drawing it's heavy laden train speedily
along, is more musical to the ear than the
most melodiOus song, and away down in
the earth, in the deep gloom of the mine,
the workman earns good wages and may
work on full time. With these Indications
of prosperity around US, showing that the
time is coming when every willing hand OF
the honest toilar will be employed, let no
act OF the residents OF this camp be done
that will tend to excite the working classes
to acts Of violence, and thereby dissipate
our happy anticipations of peace and
plenty. Upon the other hand let us join
heart in heart together and firmly resolve
to uphold and support the majecty OF the
law Tor with the law on our side We can
command the sympathy and cooperation
II our ow-citizens and secure success in
oar peaceful efforts to get rid of the Chi
neee and cheap labor.
THANKS TO THE COUNCIL.
At the conclusion OF Judge Borie's ad-
DRESS Mr.. Hollywood read the following
resolution, which was adopted with much
applause: ~
Resolved, That the thanks OF the Knights
OF Labor are hereby gi ven to his Honor the
Mayor and to the Council of the City of
Butte for the prompt and courteous man
ner in which they gave permission to our
committee OF arrangements to hold this
meeting.
SPEECH OF CAPTAIN WYMAN.
Captain Wyman was then introduced
and said that on most occasions when
there was an assemblage of laboring men
it WAS for the purpose of protesting against
the encroachments of capital, but this vast
crowd was present to raise their voice to
resist the encroachments OF the most de-
graded and miserable nation on the face OF
the earth. He congratulated the meeting
on the peaceful and orderly manner III
which it was being conducted. He knew !
that so far as the workingmen OF Butte !
were concerned they cared nothing for the |
Chinese in this city. They did not want |
him as an associate, nor did they care for |
him as laborer, for as far as the miners |
were concerned, they did not interfere with
CLeiH, DuC ds luey uiu Cdhe OHe pISlCt VI
white labor which would come here they |
should be sent out. 1t was asked how
their places could he filled. How were |
they filled twenty-five years ago. Who OF |
the audience but what would agree that the
best bread they ever ate, or the cleanest |
and sweetest sheets they ever slept between |
were prepared by their own mothers and |
sisters. It was also said that the white
men would not do the work that the Chi
nese did, but this was not true. Go into
New England and you will find that the
farmer, or shoemaker or tanner of to-day +!
is not afraid or ashamed of his calling, and !
that twenty years hence he may fill the
most exalted position in the land. No |
honest labor is degrading, and no honest
man believes that it is. This is a country |
where all the adopted citizens come for the
purpose Of making happy homes and aid
ing in it's development. Do the Chinese do
it? Cries OF "nop' and applause They
came here to live in squallor and on moth
ing and to rob the country by sending to
their home all the money they could earn.
Speaking OF the remedy, Mr.. Wyman re-
ferred to the previous legislation on the
subject: and said that the evil could only
be stopped by creating healthy
public sentiment and giving people to
understand that white people would
only patronize those who employed white
men. What are called the higher classes
only knew the Chinese as servants, and of
course had but little to do with them, but
the workingman met them as rivals. How
to get rid of them was the question? (Cries
of 'drive them out'). No, continued the
speaker, they are here protected by q sol
emn treaty, and we as representatives OF
the greatest government on the face OF the
earth cannot afford to disregard our obli
cations as citizens and raise the hand OF
for by SO doing we wonld belittle
ourselves and harm the Government,
whose institutions we would shed our
blood to maintain. They must be ostra-
cized and thus made to go. They are unlike
other foreigners. They are curse instead
Of blessing. They reap where they have
not sown. They do not assimilate, they
10 not Christianize but they do material
ze, and take good care that most OF the
substance they get hold of is sent out OF the
The speaker concluded with an
to his hearers to do nothing
but to insist that they would use
Ill legal and peaceful means to rid the
country OF the curse OF Chinese cheap
abor.
J. H. DUFFY
vas the next speaker. After thanking the