Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-07-13
The Chinese Curse.

4Qe C0lneSo curse.
J. d. Clark, editor OF the Shanghai
Mercury, and war correspondent Of
the London News, arrived in Seattle
from the Orient Friday by the Risjun
Maru, en- route for England As he
left Shanghai on the Sth of June, he
cannot, OF course, speak from personal
knowledge vi the late alleged hap.
penings in China, but his opinion
serves greatly to modify apprehension
OF the extreme measures reported last
week which have already been contra.
dicted in some particulars by subse-
quent dispatches.
Mr.. Clark does not believe there
will be any division OF the empire, as
is undoubtedly desired by Russia. He
thinks that an open door policy will
be insisted upon by the other powers
The Mckinley administration and
Johnny Bull are standing together for
that policy, and it is thought in
China that Germany and possibly
Japan, now admitted to the combine
will probably favor it. While this
will be a quartette of nations that
may prevent the destruction of the
empire, its results will be scarcely
less deplorable to the industries Of
other parts of the world.
The destruction of the Chinese en.
pire would be like the establishment
of an ant-hill, or the overturning of a
hive OF bees, the scattering of an inf
mite number Of active, industrious
business entities. to prey upon other
forms of life for which nature has pro-
vided the same adaptabilities and re.
sources for livelihood, and the open
door will admit of the utilization OF
cheap labor for the manufacture of all
the products in which labor enters as
the chief factor. 1t would mean the
placing of every form of late and i'm
proved machinery in China and afford
ing the brains to teach q quick-witted
and ingenious people to operate it
thus making of the mighty empire,
numbering five hundred millions of
people, the great machine shop of the
world.
Witness the course of evolution OF
this dangerous policy. The multi
millionaires of this country have the
capital and the disposition to increase
it at any cost to the welfare of their
fellow man. Capital will build rail-
roads, and these will enable this and
other countries to thoroughly conquer
a peace and adequately police the
country by military power. Then
capital will step forward to unite the
immense industrial energy of the ma
ton in operation of all modern appli-
ances for production of each and every
article of general demand. The impo-
sition of tariff duty would only serve
to retard somewhat the day of total
prostration of white labor. The en-
durance of . nation Injured for cen.
turtles to hard labor, whereby energy
seems to be ingrained into their very
nature, affords margin of difference
in estimating the principal cost OF
production, which would require n
stupendous ratio OF impost duty, to
adequately protect the labor of class
of people who expect three meals u
day though many may from necessity
consist only of cheapest, plainest fare.
Then capital steps in again and COM
mands the election of Congressman
who will do its bidding in fixing the
ratio of "protection," under a no less
penalty than closing the factory doors
and involving labor in absolute ruin.
Thus will the endless Chain 20 on to
reduce to the condition OF serfs the
people who have. during the first cycle
of our national growth, been taught to
believe there some dignity and indie.
pendence, and pride in American cit.
izenship.
Is it not full time to call halt in
the aggrandizement of wealth which
robs human nature of those kindlier
instincts that recognize in manhood
some at least Of the attributes of q
higher lifef Is it not about time that
labor should protest in some other
form than impotent strikes which en-
able drones to live upon the stores of
industry! Can labor be deluded
much longer in nerving the arm with
the raised blade by the mighty power
of his ballot? Consider we'll, these
and many other pregnant facts, o La.
Dor, and resolve to meet the emergency
before it is too late.
DEATH OF PIONEER WoMAN.-Mrs.
Frank Clark died in Chicago, last
week, after q short illness. She was
the wife of the noted pioneer lawyer,
who resided in Steilaconn alonn in