, 1886-02-18
Aggressive Agitators-

/ Az "utl SIiuGoc SOLISICSS "ulCu
met IN Portland Oh Saturday did sew
eral very foolish, not to say criminal,
things. It included 10 delegates,
some Of whom were from Puget
Sound, and passed resolutions prais-
ing certain newspapers that have
sanctioned mob violence at Tacoma
and Seattle, boycotting the OTegoaiaA
and Telegram, denouncing Cover
nor Squire and calling for his i'm
parchment and asking B. f. Butlsr
to conduct the impeachment case.
1t also called on citizens of every
locality to assemble and politely
request the Chinese to leave within
thirty days, and resolved that an exc
cutiye committee be appointed in
each place to carry out the pro
gramme.
1t is plain that this whole agita-
tion is being carried on by fow pro
fessicnal, stall-fed, sand-lot dema-
gogues from California, aided by a
few ambitious strikers in Oregon and
Washington. They have already
gone nearly the length of their rope,
and are guilty of sedition and high
treason against the National laws.
Prompt arrest and punishment Of
the principal leaders would cool their
ardor few degrees. 4 term Of ap-
premiership at picking oakum or
making shoes would probably sur
prise the main ones of these labor
leaders" with the first labor they ever
did-and it would exert q wholesome
influence, in removing q disturbing,
nihilistic, lawless, misunderstanding
element from society, The time has
come for every newspaper of respect
able standing, every pulpit, every
leader Of public opinion and every
responsible factor in maintaining the
good order and happiness of society
to speak out with no uncertain sound.
The question is now plainly put-not
whethsr the Chinese shall go or not,
but whether our constitution, laws
aud treaties shall be longer suffered
to be openly trampled upon. Let
every responsible citizen respond.
The Chinese are going fast enough to
satisfy the demands of any reasona
bic personal least fast enough to
provo that forcible expulsion and
unlawful intimidation are in no sense
excusable even as a means of last re-
sort. The ''agitators" are fast prov
ing that it is not merely the depar
ture of the Chinese which they really
desire, but full swing and opportunity
to exercise their vocation as profes-
sional mischief breeders. They are
criminally abusing the liberties of
speech and action granted and Sc
cured them by the best government
the world ever saw. They have de-
monstrated that they at least are not
fit to exercise the liberties and rights
OF citizenship in a free country.
Nobody wants the Chinese here, ex-
cept perhaps the corporations that
are Interested in keeping wages
down; and public sentiment is be-
coming too strong for even the cor
porations. Under vigorous boycott
ting the little yellow man from Asia
is silently folding his tent and steal
ing away. If the 'agltators'' would
stop here they might justly boast OF
having been instrumental in achiey-
ing a great reform But they Sre
going to extremes in defying law and
lawful authorities, melting riots and
disorganizing society. No amount
of smooth words can change the facts.
The polite request" for Chinese to
leave Seattle on tho 7th inst. was
accompanied by pillaging their
houses and destroying their property
SO that most of those still remaining
are being fed free of expense by their
richer coIntrymen. Such "polite
requests are just as much crimes as
though perpetrated upon white peo-
pie, and if tolerated now will be
practised upon whites in the ne1t
stage of the movement" We can
get along very comfortably without
these missionary "agitators," and they
may as we'll know it at once. I'm
peach Gov. Squire, indeedl Al Seat
tie Gen. Gibbon has had George Ven
able Smith arrested and will court
martial him. Smith is the great
leading ''agitator'' who, while pro
testing the harmlessness and peace
full nature of the anti-Chinese cru
sade, advised his poor dupes to all
arm themselves.