News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-03-04
Letter from Oregon.
PORTLAND, Oregon

1
There is trouble on the Pacific slope.
From Puget Sound to Southern Cali
fornia there is but one cry heard,
'sThe Chinese must 60" All classes
are in favor of getting rid of the
Cinnamon, but there is serious diff
ference of opinion as to how it should
be done. One party advocates force,
another the slower but more lawful
course of denying all work to the
Chinese, and so starve them out.
Hard times and the pinch of power
ty has brought the working man of
this coast to point where he is will
ing to do the work usually done by
Chinese. Had any one suggested to
a white man two years ago that he
could saw wood, peddle vegetables,
grub land, or to white woman that
she could cook or wash, the idea
would have been received with scorn.
But times are not as they used to be,
and there are thousands who would
now be glad to do this work. But the
Chinese are doing it, and doing it
well, at less rate of wages than the
white man is willing to accept. The
agitation which has been going on for
some time, took shape at Tacoma
about two months ago. A party of
men visited the Chinese quarters of
that city, packed up the Chinamen's
goods, escorted the owners out of the
city and warned them not to return.
This method has been tried with some
success in a number of California
towns, and lately at Seattle. Here,
for the first time there was blood shed.
Five men were wounded and two
killed. There was a collision between
the party who believed in force and
the party who believed in law and
order. The consequence is, Seattle is
occupied by United States troops and
is under martial law.
| Here in Portland congress of the
laboring men was called to meet on
the 18th of February. For days be-
fore the city filled up with men from
all parts of the coast, ready for any
thing which might turn up. 1t was
expected that the expulsion of the
Chinese would be made pretext for
general riot and a plundering Of the
city. There is no doubt but this was
contemplated. A greater part of the
laboring men of this coast | mean
the men who work for daily wages)
are men without ties, responsibilities
or interest in the country. They have
drifted west, working while and
carousing in saloons the balance Of
the time. One of the standing griev-
ances against white labor on this coast
is, that it is not reliable. Men will
get drunk and quit work just when
| they are most needed. For number
IF days the city was on the verge of
riot. The authorities, however,
profiting by the experience of Seattle,
took prompt measures. Hundreds Of
respectable citizens were sworn in as
deputy sheriffs and special policemen.
The militia company were kept under
arms, and the United States troops at
Vancouver were in readiness to move
at once. Such determined attitude
to preserve the peace caused the con-
gress to adjourn with nothing more
harmful happening than the passing
of a resolution to the effect that the
Chinese must all be out of the city by
the oath of March next. What will
be done if the Chinese do not 90 on
or before that day, remains to be
seen. l do not doubt that an attempt
will be made to force them to leave,
| and if so there will be no end of trou-
BILE. The Chinaman is a sober, order
Iy and faithful worker. He will not
beg, and seldom steals, unless actu-
ally starving. Except enough to bare
| ~ support life, he saves his money
and sends it to China, taking thou
sands of dollars out of the country
and returning nothing to it. He will
! never conform to American civiliza-
ton. All efforts to convert him are
utterly thrown away. A few embrace
Christianity, but always, like good
many "Melican men," with an eye to
pecuniary profit. The white laborer
of the coast is unreliable, impudent,
drunken, and nine times out of ten a
foreigner. He works till he gets a
little '.stake" and then HES him to a
saloon. The Chinese are here bv
treaty and should be protected. They
are not the worst class of people on
the coast, by any means. The Jews
are damaging the country much more
than the Cinnamon. The situation at
present is strained" An accident at
any time may precipitate a collision,
and then there will be bloodshed. The
city is full of unemployed hungry
men. This is not hired mans coun-
try. We have climate, lots of it.
More climate to the square foot than
any other place on earth, but at pres
ent that's about all the inducement
we have to offer. The lying railroad
circulars scattered broadcast have
filed up the coast with people who ex-
pended their last dollar to get here
They dreamed of Utopia where there
was ease and plenty, and found star.
walton. The conditions of life in Or
egon are the same as anywhere else -
plenty of hard work for the poor man
The Anti-Coolie League and knights
of Labor are boycotting everybody
who in any way employ Chinese. But
it don't amount to much. The man
without cent in his pocket is very
poor boycotter, and people don't pay
| much attention to him. DOCTOR.