Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-03-14
DAILY POST-lNTElLlGENcfR
An Axru-eurssss CONVENTION.

The Communicative Of DR.. Ieonnas
T. Minor, With wiIl Be fouSd In AZ
other column, should D. read By al AID
should be scted apSs without delay
In IL IL contained q suggestion the viz
don Of which fsz will care - cifpg's
DR.. Minors plan, bris1y stated, - tb='
at the safiiss. o l-~ible date y trHlY rep
resentatIve convention 81 tie ys0pie o.
Washington Territory asssm5is At .
stsls for the parposs q expressing ihs
real sentimsn, Of tbs Territory upon the
Chinese question. and q uEgiug agog
Congress the nsosssiiy q laE ls!aii %
which viii eaeota4lly cut # ibs Chi
nsse industrial INVASION Of ins United
States.
The dssirabillty Of such so assem-
bIage Of the representative men q the
Territory becomes daily more aUpaFsnL
Congress shovs little intention %
amending the restriction ast IA s15h a
manner a. % make 10 Effective, OF Of
snssting any ue= measures which shall
be a. barrisfs bstseen tbs eooIe isbor
of Asia and the free iabor Of America.
This inaction can BE- accounted for 10
two ways, neither Of whioh would b.
entirely wrong. In the trst place, Con
gress does not yet realizs the necessity
for affofding American labor ab-oiats
protection from Chinese competition.
The present restriction sot was an au
willing concession ~rung from zoe Iasi
by the united aud determined demands
of the Pacific Coast. That this act Is
ct variance With vha, has always IN the
past been the policy Of cor Government
no one pretenes Ia deny. Tbs only DIFF
ference Of opinion ia that while the ma
iority of the people OF the East believe
10 10 be an anjustihsols variation. the
people Of the Pacific Coast with perfect
unsnimity know IL TO be not only iusti
liable bat absolutely necessary. 1hs
people Of the Est gave Us the restrie
ton act unwiiiinsly. aud they are IN
willing 10 conosde such additional leg
islGtion as is necessary 10 make its pro
visions Ell sotive. The people Of the
Pacific Coast should shsx once again
that they are a. matted and determined
a. ever upon this question, and thsi
they mast have the legislation which
.hs necessities OF the case require.
There IL, however. another reason for
the inaetion of Congress mis-
apprehension which It will be the spe
oial object Of this convention to correct
% far as 10 can be done. The impres
sion 10 general among the people ef the
East that II Ia only the hoodlums. the
idisrs and the laxless elements Of the
Pacific Ceast who demand the prohibs-
ton Of Chinese immigration. They be-
sieve that the best classes Of the CON-
munity- the men OF education, the
property holders and the intelligent
mechanics and workinemen - do noI
share In the demand, and that the cry
against Chinese cheap labor ~ only =
CRY from the Aand lot. This impression
was always strong and Il has been
strengthened ihameasurably by the mas
sacrss a. Rock Springs aud Squak, by
the lavless proceedings at Seattle, fs
coma and other towns Of the Paoia,
Coast. by the evident alarm aud uBeasi
ness at Portland and San francisco aDC
by the rabid utterances Of irresponsible
aeitators. In America an agitation
loses its strength when the law Is trans
crossed. whes the shotgun aud thu
revolver are pat 20 work, reason aBC
argument 90 OF 10 play.
OF course, the people Of the East Ar,
unwilling to make any concession &,
what they believe to be I iawless auo
reasonable element. The object of thi.
Convention will be 10 show them that
90 far at least as washiAeton Territor,
10 concerned, all classes of the people
are united In their opposition 10 Chi
nese immigration; that this opposition
Ia not q lswless, but lawful one; that
those who make II are not breakers OF
the Law. bat its defenders. The men
most strongly opposed to the immigra
ton Of Csinese arr those who reason
the question cut with oaimness and in
tsiliRence, those who consider the uIti-
mate effects OF sanh Immigration and
have regard for the duty We owe pos
tsrity. Such men are always law abii-
ing. The man who Is able 90 reason
knows thai in the law alone are safety
and justice to be found. This Convsn-
tien must .how the csuntry that oar de
mands come from the Law abiding. the
intelligent aud the patriotic elements Of
the community.
IL is proposed that the Seattle Con,
vention shall Supplement and endorse
The work Of the Sacramento Convention
which has Just adjourned. The latter
vas q representative body. Its action
vas viss and conservative. Violence
and iawlessnesz, such ~ have marked
The movement in The Northwest, were
discouraged and repadiated at every
step. The voice Of that Convention
vas the true voice Of California. Let
The true voice Of Washington Territory
now be heard.