, 1888-03-08


A CoNMuNICATtuN, without sig
nature, published in the Chronicle
Friday evening. upon the action oi
the city council in requiring II
license of 5000 y year, from Chi
n-se lsundiies supplies food for reiiec-
ton, and the subject is worthy Of
calm consideration. The licen-e is
opp es.ivs and If strictly enforced
would he almOst prohibit ~ in its Of.
feet As ordinances are passed for the
puri ose of having their provisions
carried out, the natural presumption
is that the real object WAS to close out
the laundries entirely. This is MI ar
biysry proceedings for which there is
no precedent, and it is prostituting
the power delegated to the local law
makers anything but creditable TO the
members. From long residence ON
the coast We have imbued u strong re.
puguance to the Chinese. We be-
lievo that their presence anywhere in
this country in any number il II det-
riment aud an evil in many ways, but
while they are he-e they have II few
rights that should be respected aud
.ure entitled to such treatment as, at
least, bears n semblance Of Justice
M one but brute would resort to
force to- expell them, and it Is only II
few degrees remote from brutality to
subject then, to such oppressive legis.
lation as legislative body would not
dare to- inllict upon white men. The
old cry of Chinese lanndries taking
the bread out of the mouths Of white
washer women, is the silliest nonsense,
and u reprOach upon the intelligence
of the Caucasian race. If there We're
IA thousand Chinese laundries in the
city the man who patronizes the white
woman, or white laundry, in prefer.
ence to ii Chinuman, through prnci.
pie, would still continue to give his
patronage TO the former. In this,
like almost anything else,a mans
sympathy is regulated by what it
costs him and the character of the
work done. II u community in de-
terminrd to free itself from the pres.
ence of Chinese let it Withdraw its
patronage. The riddle would be at
once solved. Tho Chinaman would
hunt new pastures. There is hardly
an exception to the rule that the
loudest mouthed ranters against Chi
nese are those who patronize them,
or who employ them in some manner
when their assistance is recommended
by their cheapness. 1t seems strange
that this remarkable fit of Indignation
over the presence OF the Chinese
Laundry in our midst should break out
in such virulent form just ut the
present time. 1t is unfortunate for
the promoters of the measure that the
= asm struck them at this inopl Oh
tune moment. 1t ID apt to awaken
the impression that it was cheap
bit of electioneering to attract the at.
tention of the voter. We do not init
mate that this is the case, but it Was
really injudicious, considering the
time of year, AS there are people
who will uncharitably draw their de
ductions from the juxtapostion Of the
act to the date Of the spring election.
The Chinese laundry has been in ex-
istence here for years; the same feel
ing of aversion to the race has existed
all this time the yellow w,sh-
board rubbers have been snatch
ing the food from the emaciated
hands Of the washer women and the
steam laundrymen, and yet the leper-
Gus sons of the celestial kingdom have
not felt the iron grip of the virtuous
council. The body have the screws
on now in good shape for the purpose
Of making up for lost time.
THE Colfax Gazette says taat "the