The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-30
Numerously Signed Petition Asking Con
gross to Pnss = stringent Exclusion
Act Against the Mongoiians.

~ ! D W NttA0A n4A tAO AoopAA6
called by him to take action on the petit
tions to congress for the exclusion Of the
Chinese, and for tho election Of senators by
the direct vote Of the people, both Ct which
were suggeted by r. ". Powderly. The SEQ
rotary stated that he had petitions on the
Chinese question prepared for the sigma
lures Of those present and Tor other Work-
ingmen's organizations. II was decided TO
allow five minutes to each man TO talk on
the subject. AS this was %announced one man
present began a rambling speech about the
uselessness Of the Chinese to the mer-
chants, the doctors and the real estate men,
and was proceeding to state that China had
Al .OOO.O 600 people and the United States but
10000 900, when the chairman called him
down with the remark that this was a
meeting to discuss o serious problem. and
not a s.iosh.'' Tho cuiprit took his seat.
and the discussion was taken up II q aerl-.
GUS strain.
John Finn suggested that the working
men would have to come out and let u be
known to the politicians that whoever vas
not on their side could not get thvir votes.
+. "A. Adrian said they could nothing I'M
less they all stood together and refused to
patroniZe the Cinnamon or those who en-
nnlnved tham.
Adolf Halst thought the question q grave
one, not only because the Chinaman worked
for less than q white person, but because
what money these people got was with
drawn from the already inadequate circulas
ton and taken back to their native land.
Besides that there wore the vices the Chi
namen brought here. suoh as the opium
habit. While it was impossible to get rid
of all the Cinnamon now here, II would %
well Ia kaen others from coming. Those
now here would soon die out. He said the
working people had to patronizs tho Chi
namen for their garden truck because no
white man raised any, but that would not
ia enough 70 keep them here.
Chairman Boucher said the solution of
the nroblem was a difficult one. It might
do "a take the almost unprecedented step
q sending all the Cinnamon back, but as
that was we'll nigh impossible, the next
Grant question was how to mitigate the
evil and reduce il TO the minimum. The
ayclnsion act did not remedy the disease.
It was not heroic enough. II was wonder
full how. when congress passed a law. it was
40 easv to eyade it. The people Of tho
United States were most confederate of
evil doors. It would seem that when any
great wrong was committed it was neces-
nary for q certain class Of people to get out
and roar. and all the others called them
upitators. Perhaps Dennis Kearney was an
aeitator. but he had a kick. No attention
was Maid to him. but when the trouble be-
d to effect the upper Glasses, then congress
Cook action. There were certain stores on
Broadway occupied by Cinnamon as mer-
chants, Ii tho Chinmap ever vacated the
places the stores could never be rented to a
white man for the same sum. That had
been found out in Portland and San Fran
cisco. But the Helena business men knew
it all; they would not learn by experience.
When the merchants began to feel the effect
F ~ ~,ua,,,,a ,E %ha Hhiroun than Tho
Legislators would act. He feared they never
woald act on the appeal of the workingmen.
"Ihe only way I see ia to pass an exclusion
not that will last forever" he continued.
I'VE must say to our Legislators that this is
tho one thing we insist upon. The Knights
of principles that no creed or color hall be
prohibited from being members. The same
is found in the constitution Of the United
States. Yet Jefferson and the other fran
ers of the constitution never meant a lot of
mit.ed who com because We have some
thing they want, and who, when they get
it, 20 back home to enjoy it. Our only way
is to impress on the mind of the people
who are in office and those who want to get
there, that their present and further safety
depends on the passage of an exclusion act
that will last forever"
When the pstltion to congress was being
passed around for signatures Mr.. Gildea
suppested taking up the senatorial question,
Int Michael Corbett thought that it would
bo bad policy to drop the Chinese matter at
this point. He favored continuing to hold
the meetings, but in q larger place. He
also suggested withdrawing all patronage
from the Cinnamon, The quickest way TO
Get rid Of them ia to let them alone, MIR.
Gildea said the Chinese question had been
effectually disposed Of 30 far as the present
meeting vas Concerned. The question Of
e~lecting senators BY direct vote Of the peo-
Die was of as great, if not greater import
ance than the Chinese question, The
Chinese exclusion act had been in force ten
Years, but it WAS a prohibition that did not
prohibit. The other question was one of
bringino the senate. q closer to the people.
where thew could be dealt with better and die
tated to in stronger terms than they could
be now. Chairman Boucher wanted
another and a larger meeting with the
business mon present. Secretary Bennett
did not have much faith in tho business
men attending. .As an example of their
duplicity, or policy" he snid, ..you will re-
msmbor that the council unanimously
passed anti Chinese resolutions. Four OF
the men who voted for them employ China
men In their houses. One told me It was
because better service could be had from
the Cinnamon. The other said he would
talk about it when the Burlingnme treaty
was resoinded.' Mr.. Gildea then moved to