The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-22
ALL LAWYERS DO NOT INTER.
pref LAWS ALIKE.
THEY MUST HAVE CHINESE
Coast Visitor Tells Of Somme Labor
Difficulties Experienced
Out His Way.

THAT all the men whose supposedly
strong suit lies in the Interpretation
of the fundamental law do not take
the same view of constitutional pro.
visions and mandates was made very
apparent in the decision of the SUI
preme court regarding the fair trial
law, a few days ago." remarked a
member of the local bar yesterday.
Now, there is Judge HARDWOOD. late
an associate justice of the same SUI
preme court. 1t is generally under
stood that he vas the father of the
measure that has failed to pass mus
ter. One would naturally suppose
that because of his connection with
the highest tribunal of the state he
would be a tolerably good authority
on matters of constitutional law, but
it seems that he guessed wrong. At
least, his guess and that of the men
who now constitute that court don't
seem to have agreed. But it is only
another evidence of the often heard
assertion that it is not given all men
to understand all things alike. What
is my opinion? That's another mat
ter. I'm a lawyer and take my law.
or at least the construction of the
law as we get it from the courts quail
lied to interpret the statutes, whether
legislative or constitutional. That's
what reports are for"
Much as we may cry against the
employment of the Chinese here and
elsewhere, if it were not for the China
men l don't know what some OF us
people out on the coast would do at
times Thus did Charles Ricketts,
deliver himself yesterday to a crowd
OF men who were discussing the labor
situation. Il live at Portland, where,
you know, there have been strikes
OF all kinds lately and where at pres
ent several thousand men are out
because of a disagreement concerning
wages and hours. Personally | would
prefer to give employment to men
OF my own race, but because of the
present prosperous times and great
demand for men OF all kinds it is al
most impossible to secure white la
bOrers. But aside from this: there
are many kinds of work that white
men will MOI do. Take the matter
OF working in the salmon canneries,
for instance. There the 'chinks' excel
in particular. When l left home there
were no fewer than a couple of thou
sand of them working along the Co
and the demand was for more.
In the field OF common labor it is
the same. The Chinese are
faithful and Industrious and those
who are accustomed to them are al
ways willing to employ them. 1t is
a mistaken notion that out our way
the Cinnamon are willing to work
Tor starvation wages. They demand
pay but little, if any smaller than
that given to white laborers and they
have more money than is generally
believed among the whites.
1t is no use to experiment with
Japanese. They are unreliable and
you a never tell what moment a
gang that you may have in your en-
ploy will go on a strike. In this re-
spect they are no different than the
unions. | have tried them and know
what I'm talking about. The Japs
impressed with their own impor-
tance. No matter how meek and sub
our Jap may be when he
lands, it will require only a short
time to change him. He is ambitious
to be like the white men with whom
m in contact and soon be.
comes impertinent and o~verbearing
He will quit you without a moments
notice and as soon as he has earned
a few dollars imagines himself a
and puts on more style
than a merger king. His only re-
.eeming feature is that he is good
the communities in which he
makes his home, for he is a free spen-
der and has as little. regard for the
value Of money as the most confirm
American spendthrifl."
Say, you newspaper man, who is
supposed to know pretty much every
hing that is going on, what has be-
'ome of the talk we heard a
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