CHAPTER XXxXl.

‘‘ AnTI-CHINESE.”’—‘‘ A great demonstration.” —The largest torch-light pro-
cession ever seen in the Territory,—An enthusiastic meeting.—Speeches
and Resolutions,-—(How to read the press ‘‘ between the lines.’’)

. J. KNOFF was elected secretary and Mrs. Kenworthy vice-president.
The lady said: ‘I thank you for the honor and hopeI shall never disgrace
the position. I shall always stand by the workingman. Abraham Lincoln
said, ‘Keep near the workingman, and you will always be right.’

J. A. Comerford said: ‘When I look about at this vast concourse of
people which, by the permission of Governor [Mason] and the deputy
sheriffs, have met together, when I see such an array of ladies and gentle-
men and hear the generous applause, I realize that this is more than an
ordinary occasion. In the dispatches we read, your dude milk and
water Governor said, ‘ the better class of people were in favor of the Chinese
remaining.’ I ask the Governor by what standard he judges this people.
Til tell Governor | Mason] that he lies from his teeth to his heart, when he calls
the [Masonic] thieves who stole our timber and coal lands the better class of
our citizens, There has not even been a queue on one of their heads twist-
ed, and yet Governor [Mason] talks of quartering troops in our midst. If
I should meet a man with a musket standing around, to keep my con-
science, I would kill him, if my steel would reach his heart. In Tacoma
we had 800 Chinamen. We told them to go. We now have about 100,
who would go but for a gagging [Masonic] corporation, which tells them
to stay.

The two per cent. sharps who have robbed the people of their coal
and timber lands, will learn to their sorrow that this is not riot, but a re-
yolution, ‘Laws never enforce themselves. I’J! tell Governor [Mason], if
he is honest he will arm his deputies and make a coast guard to keep the
Chinamen out. We have no deputies in Tacoma; the man who would ac-
cept such a position would be a marked man,’

P. P. Good said: ‘I would like to know, if Iam one who does not be-
long to the respectable citizens of Washington Territory. I would like to
knew if Governcr [Mason] could get as large a class of followers as we
have to-night............ Sanaa

The following resolutions were read and adapted:

‘The Chinese bring with them habits and customs the most vicious
and demoralizing. They [like their American brethren] are scornful of
our laws and institutions, They [like other Masons] have their own gov-
ernments, tribunals and punishments within our own, securely separated
and protected from our own, as if in the interior of China, and are utterly

(525)

526 A GreEAT DEMONSTRATION.

unfitted for American citizenship. They creep in by fraud, evasion and
cunning. In vain have the people protested, murmured and complained
of the weakness of the treaty, the laws and the efforts to exclude them,
In vain have they cried against this calamitous, this humiliating evil,
Therefore, resolved, that to save ourselves from this blighting evil, it is
necessary that more prompt and vigorous measures than have heretofore
been exercised, should be used. That public sentiment, having lost faith
in all other methods, is aroused to the firm determination of using its
own forces and the social influences under its control to that end; and be-
lieving that when the purpose of a free people is formed, and intensified
by disappointment and betrayals in its reliance upon usual methods, and
in the face of great danger and humiliation, as in the present case, that
such a public sentiment is irresistible, and that, if wisely directed and
shaped by agitation, organization and discussion, it will manifest and en-
force the highest expression of law by a free people, to the laudable end
of excluding the Mongolian curse from the land.’”

mennes SS

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[At a subsequent big meeting the following was read and adopted:|

‘* Whereas, about four years ago, certain of our leading citizens, busi-
ness men and others, forcibly took from the officers of the law and from
the county jail three persons charged with crime and, without trial and
against law, summarily executed them, and, according to the letter of the
law, said citizens, business men and other persons committed deliberate
and premeditated murder, and set at defiance the law of the land; and

Whereas, such acts have gone without prosecution, and although
several Grand Juries were expressly instructed to find indictments against
the guilty parties in such acts of murder, no indictment was ever found
thereon, although there had been no such laxity in the administration of
justice that should then justify such extreme measures under the excuse
of a last resort, but not now wishing to palliate the necessity or justice of
such acts on the part of those who thus took the law in their own hands,
we are opposed lo making fish of one set of citizens and fowl of another.

Resolved, that the citizens of Tacoma, who removed the Chinese fiom
their city by force, which was chn:acterized by no violence or uncivilized
act, were moved by a greater public necessity and public indignation than
sustained the people of Seattle in taking the lives of their victims, and
that said latter necessity and public indignation was founded more in the
laxity of the administration of the law, the otherwise irremediable public
injuries of a worse character than was charged against the Seattle victims,
as being or leading to multiplication of such acts so charged, and after the
people of Tacoma, in common with others throz.ghout the coast, have been
more forbearing under greater wrongs and oppressions of long suffering,
by the neglect of the Government and its non-protection of its own citizens,
without other hope of relief.

Resolved, that it is the almost unanimous opinion of public sentiment
on the Pacific Coast, where the facts and circumstances are known and

id, evasion and
1d complained
exclude them,
miliating evil.
iting evil, it is
1ave heretofore
aving lost faith
mn of using its
it end; and be-
and intensified
1 methods, and
esent case, that
'y directed and
anifest and en-
1e laudable end

nd adopted ;|
g citizens, busi-
1e law and from
ithout trial and
the letter of the
ritted deliberate
1e land; and
and although
ctments against
was ever found
lininistration of
hder the excuse
ty or justice of
eir own hands,
of another.
he Chinese from
8 or uncivilized
ndignation than
eir victims, and
led more in the
mediable public
Seattle victims,
d, and after the
oast, have been
long suffering,
its own citizens,

blic sentiment
are known and

A Great DEMONSTRATION. 527

understood, that the citizens of Tacoma who are indicted for removing the
Chinese from that city, have effected great public good in the only effect-
ual manner; we, in common with the mass of citizens on this coast, believe
that the prosecution of said indictments will effect no good—would be an
injustice to the defendants, whilst the Seattle lynchers go unprosecuted,
and we, therefore, request that either suits for indictments be dismissed,
or with such proposed prosecution the Seattle lynchers be also prosecuted,
so that justice without discrimination will be meted out by the so-called impartial
administrator of justice under a free government,

Resolved further, that the United States attorney should wash his
hands of the charges against him in taking part in the execution of the

three men in Seattle, before he undertakes to prosecute the Tacoma
citizens.”

‘* Mrs. M. A, Kenworthy [among others] was called. She was truly
surprised when elected on the committee, but never desired to stand back
when duty to her country demanded her services.

‘I fear these Chinamen will be protected by men and cause much
trouble. This is a serious matter and cannot be accomplished in a day.
These Chinese are in our families, they take the work from our girls. Did
you ever read the appeal of the working women of San Francisco, and
hear the prayers of the poor, starving creatures who are trying to work at
Chinamen’s wages and support their families? Do you wonder that these
women are driven to desperation and ruin? I would do anything on

earth, before I would see my children starve. I would take my pistol and
shoot my way through.’”’