The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-11

The present Chinese situation. OF which
tantalizingly small amount of knowledge
is actually accessible. has aroused COM
ments OF various kinds N is reasonably
certain that there has been a general mas
sacre of the foreigners in Pekin- because
IL this had nc. happened the Chinese Gov
eminent. in view Of the rumors which have
been circulated and the action which has
been taken by the various powers, would
certainly have cor.radicted the story ard
assured the civilized world o. the safety
of the legations. That much may be con-
ceded as certain. 1t is terrible event
from any point Of view: but the sugges-
lions Of some harebrained people with more
bombast than wisdom add new horror
to the affair. These persons intimate that
reprisals should be made upon the Chi
nese in this country.
t 1t is to be hoped that no sanguinary
mob orator will take up this notion and
enlarge upon 1t. for the result might be
humiiiating to every intelligent and fair
minded American. There are undoubtedly
hoodiums and rowdies enough in the
streets Of San FRANCISCO or New York to
loot and ravage the settlements known as
Chinatown If they happened to think of
1t. but il any such attempt is made it
should be the business OF every law-abid-
ing citizen to suppress it. The Chinese
laundryman in this country is as peace
able and harmless a creature as can be
found in the land, and there is no possible
reason for molesting him or injuring his
business. 1t is true that it might be
good thing il the immense warrens OF
San Francisco's Chinatown. with their
underground apartments and liability TO
disease. could be done away with and
sanitary dwellings, less densely populated.
be substituted for them. but If this is
ever done 1t must happen naturally and
quietly. and in due accord with the forms
of law. II is not the business of any
American mob to go in there and abuse
the inhabitants.
What this country wants to do is to get
at the people who wero responsible for The
murder OF American citizens in Pekin.
and punish them. X manifestly has moth
Jag against law abiding and industrious
=
the Pacific Ocean all the time and had
nothing to do with the affair. The idea
that because Chinese have killed Ameri-
cans in Pekin, Americans must kill an
equal number of unoffending Chinese in
California, is the notion of barbarian.
and the possessor is exactly on the same
plane morally. as the Boxers. There is
an impression in the minds of some ignor-
ant and emotional people that If they have
been hurt by a man belonging to another
race they must averse the hurt somehow
by abusing another man of that race wher-
ever they can catch him; and that theory
deal OF trouble in this country. 1t has
been the cause of Indian wars and other
race complications: and there is no sense.
justice. or humanity in it. 1t is particu-
larry absurd, in this case, to advocate
reprisais - the Chinese within our Dor
ders, because of the fact that most of
them come from an entirely different part
Of China from that in which the outrages
Of the Boxers have taken place Most of
them are Cantonese, from South China:
and Pekin Is away up in the North. To
punish Cantonese for the crime of
Pek!n Boxer Is about as ridiculous as 1t
would be TO catch a quiet, inoffensive
OF North Dakota aud cut
his throat because OF something that a /
Texas mob had done