Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-09-15
THE CHINESE AGAIN.

News comes from Seattle, W. T., that
the Chinese laborers at the coal mines,
some twenty miles from that town, have
been attacked, and their lodging and
cook houses burned. The Cinnamon
themselves fed to the woods, and for
tunatelv none OF them were killed. The
mob attacking the Cinnamon were
masked, but probably they were miners,
seeing that it was the miners at Rock
Springs who massacred the Cinnamon
there. There seems to be an organized
move against the Chinese throughout the
entire West, and the move has assumed
the dangerous form of murder and pillage.
In California, those who have been legiti-
mately agitating against the Chinese and
in favor of forbidding them immigration
to this country, deprecate very much
such crimes as those committed at Rock
Springs, fully realizing that whatever Of
merit there is in their cause is hidden by
such inhuman treatment of race, to
them, obnoxious. The natural result is
to create sympathy for race OF whom
all things vile are said, and yet who are
massacred merely because they are
obnoxious. But this new outbreak
against the Chinese at Seattle clearly
proves that some secret society is
instituting the outrages, no doubt
with the hope OF causing the Chinese
themselves to see that they are not safe
in the United States. AS Seattle is in a
Territory, it is to be hoped that the Gov
ernment will take precautions there to
protect the Chinese the same as in
Wyoming. So long as the Chinese are
here they must be protected, and not to
protect them from such unjust and un-
provoked attacks as the ones to which
they have been subjected OF late, is to
bring the United States into just con-
tempt. Neither is it any palliation of
these attacks that the Pekin Government
does not approve Of the departure of its
subjects from the realms OF the Celestial
Kingdom The Pekin Government has
permitted them to depart from their
native shores and the United States
Government has allowed them to
land upon its shores, and the duty Of
the Government is to protect them. The
course of the Administration in regard to
the Wyoming massacre proves that in the
Territories the Chinese will be protected
by United States troops if attacked but
this fact does not relieve the Territorial
and municipal officers OF the Territories
from the duty OF doing all in their power
TO see that the law extends its protection
to all, whether citizens or strangers.
Likewise it is the duty OF the various
companies, whether coal or railroad COM
panies, TO furnish the Chinese with the
means of protecting themselves. II they
are liable TO attack at any time by
mobs armed with guns and pistols, the
Chinese should be able 10 defend
themselves with guns and pistols Such
condition oil affairs is very greatly to be
regretted, and if il exists, and experience
proves that such is the ease, it must he
met the best way possible, and where
any class Of people is liable TO sudden
and murderous assaults, none are SO
competent to repel such assaults, ii the
law cannot nrotact them as those whose
lives and property are placed in jeopardy.
A man will fight much better for himself
than any one will fight for him. Let the
authorities do all they can to protect the
Chinese, but in the meantime let the en-
ployers of the Chinese provide them with
the means Of self-protection.