Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-10-15
JUDGE By THE RECORD.
Mr.. Henry's Speech on the Chimes,
Question.

in my judgment there is no occasion
for public meeting of the citizens OF
Olympia, for the purpose of maintain
ing the supremacy of the law and
maintaining peace and order III the
city. This is one of the oldest and
most staid communities upon the Pa
citic Coast, and the first instance of
resistance To- the execution and admin
istration of law, by any organized body
or mob of our citizens, has yet to be
recorded And coming to the imme-
diate matter which has called us to-
gcther upon the present occasion, am
satisfied that whatever may he the
sentiment of the community, or any
portion of the community, such
thing as a violation of the personal
rights of any class of our inhabitants,
i'll open defiance of law and public au-
thorities, is in Olympia an utter inn
possibility. Such proposition, such
an attempt, would meet with no sym
patty or encouragement here.
As for the meeting, which is an
nounced to he held in this city on the
oath inst, for the discussion, as / I'M
derstand it, of the Chinese question.
i do not question the right of anybody
of persons, whether composed of our
own citizens or of nOn-rcsidents, to as
scmblr here, or elsewhere, as may suit
their convenience. for the purpose 6
discussing this or any other subject.
That is only the right We are exercis-
ing to-day. Ii that meeting is to be-
held, or should be held, for the pur-
pose of promulgating and promoting
riotous and lawless schemes, its pur-
poses would meet with no sympathy
and its organizers will find no aid and
comfort here.
To reduce the present agitation to
broad principle of universal applica
ton, it is mere matter of personal
right guaranteed by our constitution
and laws-thc right of every individual
who lives under our flag To be protect
ed by the Government in his life, lib
erty and property, against every inter
ference or assault not made by educ
process OF law" "A right which no man
and no class of men who respect them
selves can safely violate or consent to
see violated under any circumstances
And now, Mr.. President and fellow
citizens, whilst am ready and willing
to 60 as far as the farthest in con-
demning and resisting mob law and
violence, and in protecting every indi-
vidual, from the highest to the lowest,
in the enjoyment Of every right that
the laws of the country give him,
do not wish to have it understood that
| think there are no ust grounds for
the widespread dissatisfaction of our
people in regard to the presence of the
Chinese among us.
| With all due allowance for the over
statements of prejudice, it is scarcely
possible that the agitation, riots and
lawlessness that their presence has
caused, and is now causing through
out the Pacific States and Territories,
could have occurred without some
good and substantial cause of COM
plant upon the part of those who have
participated in this agitation, and in
these riotous and lawless acts; and as
it is the real situation that We are, or
must finally be called upon to meet,
face to face, it will, think, be proper
to say few words upon this subject
at the present time.
/ 1t has been my fortune to have had
an opportunity of personal observation
Of the history of Chinese immigration
to this coast during most of the time
from its commencement, some thirty
five years ago. up to tho. present day.
AS you doubtless all know they were
first attracted to this country by the
discovery of gold in California. OF
course they were then all miners, and
as they were perfectly satisfied to con-
fine themselves to the placers that
were abandoned by the white people,
no trouble was made about them for
eight or ten years, or SO long as there
were plenty of new fields and rich
placers for the white men to work, al
though they continued to come in
great numbers. But as soon as the
rich mines were exhausted, when there
were no new ones to discover, and the
white men were forced to go back to
their old placers and to wash over their
old tailings they found the ground oc-
cupied by the Chinese, and as there
was no other way of getting as good
claims as those in their possession, it
was a very common thing in those
days to drive them out of mining
camp by the hundreds, just as they
were driven out of Tacoma the other
day, without regard to any law but
that of force. Submission and persist
ence to their purpose, though perse-
cuted, is characteristic of their race,
and when driven from one camp they
sought out another that was so poor
that white men could not work it, and
so they have gone on until at the pre-
sent day they are occupying and profit
ably working placer mines all over the
coast where white men could not make
a living.
AS mining became less profitable,
many of them embarked in other
branches of business, commencing
with laundries, and extending their
operations until they have embraced
every branch of trade and productive
industry. Wherever they have seated
themselves, whatever business they
have undertaken, their colony has al
ways been successful and prosperous,
and just as sure as they have become
successful, prosperous and of consider
able numbers in any community that
community, or portion of it, has be-
come dissatisfied with their presence;
often as you all well know to the ex-
tent of melting riots and lawless vio-
lence to their rights of person and
property. Now, my fellow-citizens,
there must be some deep reason for
this which does not apply to other col
Ored races. For years in Seattle, Vic
toria and Olympia the Indian popula-
ton was equal to that of the whites,
but you never heard of organizations
of working uIen to drive those Indians
out of the towns. In many of the
southern communities the black pop
IL e