Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-09
Restricting immigration.
the Editor of The Evening Star:

To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
/ notice The Starts recent remarks in re-
gard to the exclusion of the Chinese from
the Philippines. l agree with The Star that
there is the same reason for excluding them
from there that there is in excluding them
from the United states.
At the same time 1t strikes me that 1t is
utterly inconsistent for us to exclude the
Chinese and at the same time admit the
hordes Of ignorant and criminal Italians,
Slavs, &c, from southern Europe.
These are the wretches who are making
the trouble in the coal regions-murdering
officers Of the law and others simply be-
cause they want to- work instead of loafing
In idleness and asking the public to support
them! They are the men who shoot from
ambush, who waylay, beat, bruise and
otherwise maltreat the non-undon men
who dynamite their houses while occupied
by the women and children, and boycott
the dealers and even the churches and
schools where the non-unionists or their
children attend.
Suppose these ignorant, vicious and law
breaking Europeans were supplanted by
Chinese does any one believe that such q
state of affairs would exist7 Certainly not.
Why then are these ignorant and vicio Is
Europeans admitted and the peaceable, in
dustrious Chinese excluded 1t Is simply
because the government has foolishly given
to the former the right to vote and denied
1t to the Chinese. Demagogism and not
craftsmanship controls in this, as in so
many other matters in Congress.
The present state Of affairs is disgrace
alike to the great state of Pennsylvania
and to the nation. With all the talk about
mob law in the south 1t nowhere equals
that existing in the state of PennsyI-
wanna in the anthracite region. In the
south mob law is applied to individuals
only, and then only when charged with the
most heinous crimes-rape or murder-whte
here 1t is applied to whole communities
to the mine operators, to the merchants
and business men, to all non-union men
and their families, including the WON IN
and children. to the peace officers, and
even to military, when 1t can be done at
night or from ambush, fully equaling the
outrages perpetrated our men by the
savages in the Philippines!
So prevalent and powerful is the exist
ence Of this mob law, and so inefficient the
efforts OF the state authorities to control
1t, that in the mining regions the merchants
and business men dare not oppose 1t, and
even the town or county officials in many
places side with the strikers. In only one
or two places have the citizens organized
or made any effort to stop it, simply be-
cause of their fear of the mob Of strikers.
Even the governor when first called on
for help refused TO send any, and 1t was
not until after Sheriff Bedall was murdered
in broad daylight that he finally consented
to act. 1t is asserted positively and so Tar
has not been denied that as long ago MS
last spring the governor promised the lead
ers of the strike that he would not permit
the troops to be used to protect non-unton
men! OF course, that was simply to secure
their good will and the votes of the strik-
ers. His oath to enforce the laws was of
no Consequences mere matter of form to
be cast aside when necessary to advance
the political interests of himself or friends
The outlook is anything but encouraging
If in one of the greatest and most power ul
states Of the Union mob law and violence are
permitted to take the place of law and
order to such an extent that neither life
nor property is safe, what can we hope for
in the future?
I do not discuss the wrongs of the strik-
ers at this time-fhat is altogether another
matter. That they have Just grounds Of
complaint !, have no doubt; but whatever
they may be they do not justify any such
proceedingSshI 10 OBSERVER