The Florida star. (Titusville, Fla.) 1880-1917, 1909-02-19

Surely. John" said the employer.
you're not going to leave Ms IKE this.
What's the troubled"
you al Hghtee, veIly good man,
velly good boss" answered the China
man cook. 81 good cook, veIly good
Chinaman. All lightee. Thet Jap -
seoundrel. all laps - bad men.
60"
Explanations followed The Jap was
sent on to town again. and the China
man resumed work, doing cheerfuIly.
single handed, work that was far too
heavy for him rather than have q
japanese helper.
For the present strained relations
with the japanese many Of the large
employers Of labor are much to blame.
They are never tired Of extoIling the
virtues Of the little brown man and
holding him up as a model for imita-
ton. or course they have not got to
work alongside him and only know
him in his Invariably deferential atti-
tude toward his employer and pay
| master. People who recollect their
school days will remember how very
cordially hated was the model boy Of
the class. who was always praised and
held up. for imitation. The Pacific
coast wage Garner has much the same
sort OF feeling about the japanese.
only. being a grown man instead Of a
schoolboy. he has IT worse, and, be-
lieving that he is master Of the situa-
ton, he means to get rid Of the brown
invader, by constitutional means. II
possible. but, failing these. by other
less desirable methods which are COW
cred by the phrase that is often heard
making the coast too mighty IN
healthy for Japs to live on II"
When people are living from day to
day with this rancorous feeling deep
down in their hearts it wants only
some trifing incident to occur that
win In a moment transform 1t into
overt action that would have far
reaching and very deplorable conse-
quences. 1t is not the business OF the
present writer to offer theoretical
views as to the situation or to write
denunciations Of the wage earners Of
the Pacific coast. This is a simple
chronicle Of facts as they exist-facts
which have to be looked In the face.
facts that every man familiar with
the coast must admit unless his in
formation Is obtained solely In club
smoking rooms. expensive hotels or
the Offices and private homes Of lead
ing merchants. shipowners and en-
ployers Of labor. There is a large and
highly respectable and infiueptial
class OF people who come little in con-
tact with the japanese except in the
capacity Of servants. In which walk
Of life they are admirable This class
Of people are largely tolerant Of the
little brown men and I'm many cases
enthusiastic about them. This en-
thusiasm. injudiciously displayed, is
often the means Of adding fuel to the
existing fires OF hatred.
In a large hotel a German waiter
brought new revolver to the writer's
bedroom to ask his opinion as TO its
merits. II was cheap but deadly
little, gun. obtained from a firm in the
east by mail order Asked as to his
motive In purchasing the weapon. the
German waiter cheerfully answered. |
ITO shoot Japs when we drive them |
out" He added that many men Of |
his class were buying guns.
Inquiry among the new and second |
hand dealers In firearms In the coast |
cities ELECTED the fact that sales dur |
Ing last year had been unprecedently |
large. and particularly was this the |
case In British Columbia. There are |
now no British soldiers In Canada.
The garrison at Esquimalt is manned |
by men Of the Canadian permanent
force. Esquimalt is about four miles |
from Victoria. the capital OF British |
Columbia. and the men in garrison |
are depended upon to quell any anti
japanese or other riot that may break
out
The men spend much Of their time
In Victoria. fraternizing with the peo-
pie there. and in the event Of an anti
japanese riot they could not be de-
pended upon TO take an active part
against their white fellow subjects, a
fact which is perfectly well known to
their officers and to the department Of
militia at Ottawa. In all the coast
cities the sympathies OF the police are
with the people against the Japa-
nese.
News as Il reaches the east comes
mainly from the large cities. but It IS
not In these. with the exception OF
Vancouver. that the anti-Japanese feel
ing Is strongest. There is little Of II
to he discovered in Los Angeles. There
is more in San Francisco. hut 1t is con-
fined in a measure TO certain parts Of
the city and to certain classes. A
study Of the situation. however. in
places like Stockton. San Jose. Sacra-
mento. MERGED, Fresno. and so on. is