Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-05-25
,'ashlngtan STANDARD
OLYMPIA, WASH.
FRIDAY MORNING, MAI ., 1906.
a Persistent Plague.

The Chinese have found that threats
of boycott have worked 50 successfully
in commercial circles OF the East in
ompelling our people to tolerate their
loathsome presence, that the y now de-
clare that if they are not allowed TO
occupy their old quarters in the bust
ness district OF San Francisco, they
will abandon the city altogether. Well.
we'll; what a godsend that would be +!
To get forever rid Of the deadly upas
that has caused and perpetuated a
blight in the heart Of that city, would
seem to be some compensation for the
appalling loss by quake and fire. But
we occasionally find in some leading
Eastern journals, disparaging COM
ments on the proposed removal OF
Chinatown" to Hunters Point, or
some other suburban location of the
city. They seem determined to at
tribute the race antipathy felt BY peo-
pie on this coast towards the rat-eat.
ing, idol-worshiping, wage destroying,
aggressive and persistent pest, as ex.
tremely unjust, and to be placated by
according special favors and privileges
upon what they have forced themselves
to believe is a much abused race.
Ii is in vain We point to the mistakes
made in according the glamor OF ro-
nance thrown over the noble red man
by the writers of fiction, whose &C.
quaintanceship with the savage had
probably been limited to the statu-
esque cigar signs OF the ideal red man,
with pipe in one hand and q Ratchet
in the other, representing peace or war.
The bare insinuation that the real
article possessed fiat head, leper.
GUS body, was infested with microbes
Of gigantic size, and were redolent of
train.oil or other penetrating perfume,
was attributed to unfounded prejudice.
1t was in vain to depict his utter want
of all honorable motives, his sly cum
ming, his cruelty, his treachery. 1t
was all met with the charge that he
had been made go by the injustice OF
bis pale.face brother.
Then it took many years of exper.
fence with the negro race TO demon
strAte that the Northern idea of an
amalgamation Of black and white was
as impossible as the union Of oil and
water, and during all that time the
conflict had been prolonged by senti.
ment in conflict with reason, q want
Of knowledge OF the salient points oil
character needed for assimilation and
progress.
So it will be with the Cinnamon, az
the people become acquainted with his
national characteristics. 1t is perhaps
unfortunate that our dislike of him il
founded very largely upon a charac
teristic we bold in high esteem-in.
dustry; but it is trait that cannot be
met by advanced civilization in sue.
cessiul competition. The Chinese la
borer 10 q mere machine, subject Il
intelligent control. By centuries OIL
enforced labor, the spirit of economy
i'll living and persistent labor has been
ingrained into the very being of the
class who have lived in the under
ground burrows Of the destroyed city.
They, in the course OF tipe, If undis.
turbed, completely absorb every branch
Of labor they enter, and it has only
been by the aid of vigorously ar
rayed popular sentiment that they
have hitherto been kept within mod.
crate bounds.
It will be indeed q commentary upon
the utter prostration Of San Francisco
if her people are compelled to yield
this point and admit Chinatown 40 q
necessary element for its upbuilding.
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