The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-10-29


afford to pay lease or rental that
would bankrupt fifteen or twenty white
people. Then came the school question
and the people of San Francisco and of
the state awoke to find that a foot
hold had been gained by the willy Japs
that they were powerless to dislodge
Their protest came too late because
they had let their chance to maintain
white mans country 90 by. They
had wrought their own undoing by pat
ronizing the japanese places of bust
ness and by buying and consuming the
products of Japanese labor. 1t is not
the purpose of this article to insnuate
that the little brown men own the
whole state of California as yet-but
let him who doubts that they have
wrought immense damage, do little
quiet investigating of conditions in
California as they exist wherever they
have gained a foothold
We stand today in Washington eX-
actly where the people of California
stood at the beginning of the japanese
invasion. The same employing classes
who fattcn on coolic labor have been
and still are busy displacing the white
workman with the japanese. The en-
ployer who says he hires the Oriental
because he cannot get competent white
help, knowingly falsifies. He knows,
and the people know, that white labor
can be obtained if the employer will
pay Just compensation for days
toll.
In Washington today as in California
the Japanese are acquiring the land
through lease. They are even now en-
tcring the richest section of our own
county and acquiring the land which
should be owned and worked by our
own people. In Seattle today as in San
Francisco, they are entering the avenues
of businss, and God help MS. receiving
the patronage of white people. Walk up
First Avnu, and just Il stones throw
from Pike Street, you will find a Jap
anesc restaurant that owes its eX-
istence there to the patronage of white
people.
We are put fairly and squarcly to the
issue of this japanese question. What
can we do about it A local daily de-
precates the situation and answering
the question. says, Nothing" and logi
callv points out the hopcessncSs of the
situation.
And the paper quoted is right unless
there be an individual awakening of the
people to their responsibility in the
matter. 1t has been demonstrated time
and time again that wherever and when
ever the white and yellow races came
into direct economic conflict the white
race always lost. There can be no re
adjustment of the white mans stand
ard of living To meet that of the Ash
attic and experience seems to have PROV
en- that the Asiatic will not raise his
SO one or the other must succumb. It
becomes then not question of race
hatrcd-we have no quarrel with the
japanese in Japan-but question OF
existence on the plane of living that the
white man has created.
Every citizen of the state should de
termine his own duty toward his own
race and his attitude toward the Jap
anese laborer and producer and the
white employer of Japanese labor should
be unmistakable. Ii each individual
could only realize that his business or
his occupation was threatened there is
no question what he would do in the
matter The trouble is that we look
upon the possibility of disaster coming
to us as individuals as too remote To
bother about and there is the secret OF
the whole alarming apathy which pre-
walls in the matter.
We want no japanese thrown in the
Snohomish river" We never want 4
repetition of the San Francisco and Van
couver rioting in our fair state Violence
is mighty poor way of settling any
thing and is generally futile to accom-
plish anything definite.
But Just as sure as two and two make
four we will witness such scenes unless
we stop this yellow horde now, for mer
will fight when their children cry fo
bread Is it true that we can do moth
ing to stop this Asiatie competition
II the mass of people remain apathetic
it is. if every individual will resolve t.
deal only with people of his own race
il is not.
Shall we profit by the mistakes of th
people in our sister states who CAV
sustenance to the Asiatics and his al
lies, the money mstful employers
through the medium of their purchas
ing power? 1t is for the people of thi
state to answer and ON that answer de
pends much.
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