The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-09-19
CHINESE LABOR.

The circular against the employment o.
Chinese labor. circulated in Butte on Tues
| day, has been since the cause OF much com
ment, pro and con. That Chinese labor ID
inimical to white, free labor is acknowledged
| by all. That the Chinese now in America
/ are simply the creatures Of the Six Com
panjes and in effect slaves is true. That
these people are Of q low caste, ~ulgar and
vicious and addicted to disgusting habits il
known to all who have observed their
customs. They are spreading vice and
misery among our own people and generally
are most undesirable additions to our
population. For these reasons their i'm
portation- should cease and those now here
should be returned to China as speedily as
possible. They are initiative, ~seryile, sober
and industrious and hence make good
servants, especially in a country where
white domestic labor is scarce. In Butte,
for instance, they almost monopolize
positions in hotels, restaurants and laun.
dries and such other places as are usually
occupied by ladies. Their reliability and
industry make them favorites as cooks
drink and gambling making the white man
mighty unsartin." To do away with this
labor will amount almost to a revolution.
1t will be very difficult to find white people
to replace them. The only way it could be
lone would be by importing help: That
will take time.
There has long been a growing feeling
that such a demand as is contained in the
circular referred to would eventually be
made by the w~orkingmen OF the camp and
hence it did not occasion much surprise.
The prevailing opinion, however, is that
the time given is too short and that the
the concluding paragraph of the circular is
u mistake.
The community is not in a mood to sub
init to violence. Peaceful measures alone
should be resorted to-. Violence will &C
complish nothing. The law may be tram
pied upon for a day, but it will exert itself
eventually and right the wrong. The strong
arm of the Government will always inter-
pose itself between order and disorder, and
it is too powerful to be resisted. Anarchy
will not be tolerated and rioting will be
quelled, no matter how serious it's aspect.
In 1880 a Chinese riot was precipitated
upon Denver. Several Chinese were muir
dered, many were beaten and more were
The Sabbath before the Presiden-
tial election of 1880 Denver was a perfect
pandsmonium and the city was in the
hands of a wild, irresponsible, resistless
mob, bent upon rapine and murder. Before
night that malstrom of madmen was put
under control and the ring leaders placed
in jail. Thousands of lives and millions OF
dollars of property had been jeopardized
and no good results secured. The Govern
ment was compelled to pay several hum
dred thousand dollars in indemnities, and
precautions were taken to protect
the Chinese in the city in the future, they
being, under the present treaty, the wards
of the Nation, who is responsible for their
NJ good citizen, no true friend Of labor,
incite men to such acts. No deeds OF
violence should be c~ountenanced by the
Knights OF Labor, under whose auspices
this crusade in Butte is alleged to have
been ~inaugurated. The order cannot afford
to lend itself to such acts. Itcannot afford
to have rapine and murder laid at its
Let this slave labor, this very OBJ
j%ectionable element, be got rid OF by peace
able means, but all true men will counsel
against violence and disorder.