Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-10
VAR ON 1HE CHINESE
0uray County. in Colorado. the
Center OF War on the
Coolies.
The Chinaman Are TO Be Boy
cotted by Every Class OF
Citizens.
Minister WI Takes UP the Mat
ter With the State De-
partment.

partment.
Denver March 10.--fhe miners
union of Ouray county has declared
war on Chinese labor, and the Chinese
minister at Washington has mace lor-
NAL complaint to the state department.
! Secretary Hay, in turn, has asked Gov
ernor Orman for information. and he
has promised to investigate
IT is difficult to see, however, how an
appeal to federal laws can be success
full. for the miners carefully REFRAIN
from acts of violence. Not hand Is
lifted against the Chinaman. de may
walk the streets or keep TO his mover
without fear of molestation
But Ouray county people have been
forbidden to sell the Chinese any artl-
Gle of food or drink Railroads are not
permitted to transport them into the
county. No one is allowed to employ a
Chinaman, to rent house to him, to
sell him anything, to give MIN even
so much as a drink of water. White
men who ignore or defy the boycott on
the Chinese are themselves boycotted.
In fact, the order has gone forth from
every camp in the San Juan country
that the Chinese must go quickly. Inc
Six Companies of San Francisco LOOK
up the challenge and referred the mat
ter to Minister WI at Washington. AS
a result Governor Ornan received the
following telegram from Secretary OF
State Hay:
"The Chinese minister advises me of
reported attempts by miners union OF
Ouray, Ouray county, Colo, TO drive
Chinese out of town. Miners union al
legged to have declared boycott against
Chinese who are said to be peaceable
residents.
IF the facts are as understood and
represented by the Chinese minister the.
department would be pleased If you
would timely take such measures as
you may find appropriate to prevent
violence and to assure the Chinese
protection and unrestricted enjoyment
of treaty rights and privileges.
John HAY, Secretary of State"
The governor replied as follows:
John Hay, Secretary OF State. Wash
i
ceived. shall take UP the matter
mentioned in your telegram with the
county and town authorities at Ouray
Immediately and ascertain what can be
done.
JAMES b. ORMAN, Governor"
1t has been an unwritten law of the
entire western mining country that an
Asiatic can not survive the high alt-
tude. and there have been numerous
cases where the experimental Mongol-
ian has died suddenly from shortness CT
breath, with a verdict Of death from
causes unknown recorded by the coro-
ner
Within the last three months there
has been a growing feeling that the
laxity regarding the enforcement OF
this decree should be corrected.
The miners realize that there We're
too many Asiatics creeping into the
gulches around every town in the dis
trict. They had been allowed to remain
on suffrance.
Stems were therefore taken by the
Western Federation of Miners and the
Western Labor union to drive the Chi
nese out of Silverton. Ouray Durango,
IL
boycott was declared.
The merchants of Telluride, Ouray
and Silverton at first decided to resist
the boycott. They ignored the requests
Of the labor unions by continuing to
sell goods to the Chinese. The labor
unions promptly boycotted the mer-
chants. Then the labor unions threat
ened to boycott the politicians who re-
fused to join in the crusade.
The result was satisfying to the labor
unions. The politicians surrendered
without a contest and the merchants
reluctantly. In two months the boycott
against the Chinese in the towns named
became effective.
Backed by the Six Companies of San
Francisco, to whom the local Chinese
paid tribute, the Celestials have decid-
ed to make a last stand for existence in
the mining camps of the west and to
appeal to federal laws for protection
This makes the contest one to decide
the relative strength of the two organ
izations. Either the Western Labor
union or the Six Companies must sur
render.
The miners have departed from their
usual custom of peremptorily ordering
the objectionable characters to vacate.
They have merely ordered a boycott
that prevents the Chinese from getting
as much as drink of water in the en-
tire mountain country.
Governor Orman has been approach
ed by representatives of the Chinese,
but his invariable reply has been that
the subject is one for the sheriff of
Ouray county. Under the laws his
hands are tied. and he can not furnish
troops until he receives requisition
from the sheriff. Vincent ST. John is
the sheriff. He is also president of the
miners union, and under these circum-
stances it is not likely that he will
cause trouble for the governor by call
inc for troopc