, 1886-02-11
The Chinese Evil.

This question, like Banquo's ghost,
will not down, either at the bidding
of corporate power, politicians, hood
lum or sentimentalists who persist in
looking at it from purely theoreti-
cal point of view 1t is ever present
with US, and must be solved and
solved rightly, or there will be end
less deplorablo effects When the
outbreaks at Tacoma and Seattle sub
sided the ARGUS called attention
earnestly to the fact that the problem
could be solved, and properly too, by
the great mass of law abiding and
responsible citizens of the country, if
they would but take hold of it prop
erly-and the warning note was
sounded that unless some such thing
were done the hoodlum and ire
sponsible element could not be re
strained. California has her sand
lot agit2tors and their results, but
these are merely reflex indications
from wrongs permitted or neglected
by the people who could see to the
right kind OF legislation.
We have our "exodusters" and
others who apply the remedy of force
and mob law TO the Chinese evil.
Their intentions are in the main good,
and the grievance they are seekiug to
redress Is real one; but their meth
DDS are wrong in principle and will
have pernicious results.
II the people generally would COM
bine to withdraw all patronage from
Chinese, the pests would soon disap-
pear; bIt as long as there is remun
erative employment for them they
will lnger even though hooted,
abused and nal treated. The cor
porations are, as rule, in favor of
keeping Cinnamon among us, be-
cause it keeps down wages for day
laborers; but these corporations
should understand that the very
same spirit that drives Chinese out
by force, and sometimes by blood
shed, will IN turn destroy corporation
property il demands for wages are
not complied with. The same spirit
is what led to the Pittsburgh riots a
few years ago when three hundred
thousand dollars worth of property
was wantonly destroyed in one day.
The reactionary effect of that out
break was disastrous to wage labor
ers themselves, but it was the only
method they could think of to bring
redress for their wrongs and oppres-
sion. They had a. real grievance
which, if corporate power had rene
died in time, would have vanished to
the permanent good of all classes.
Take the lumber milling industry on
Puget Sound today, for instance.
The large companies are in COM
bination; they have wages as low as
possible, and some of them employ q
great many Cinnamon; they are run
ming at present on two-thirds time;
now, it is said they are to "shut
down" one week in each month. A
iaborer in one of the mills, who gets
paid at the rate OF $50 or $40 per
month, and has to be idle one-third
of his time, and is further obliged to
be under expense paying for his
board one week cut of every four,
can barely make a living. If he has
a family, and has not means to better
his condition, he is in a desperate
strait indeed. These companies
would do we'll to heed the logic of
the inevitable before it Is too late.
Our dispatches show that the Knights
of Labor and other organizations are
aroused as never before. The labor
ing man cannot be expected to exist
On what & Chinaman Is willing to
work for. One or The other must go,
and 1t should not take Intelligent
American citizens long to decide
which itsmust be. !