The Chinese Must Go!

The Daily Ledger, Tacoma, Washington Territory, Wednesday, September 30, 1885

The Chinese Must Go

The Preamble and Resolutions Adopted by the Puget Sound Anti-Chinese Congress.

On Monday evening last, at Seattle, W.T., the following preamble and resolutions were adopted by the delegates from various cities and towns on Puget Sound, who had convened to formulate and devise plans how best to rid western Washington of the Chinese:

PREAMBLE:

The citizens of western Washington territory in convention assembled for the purpose of devising ways and means to rid our territory from the presence of the Chinese, declare the following principles and resolutions as our sentiments:

It is the duty of our citizens to organize themselves for the expulsion of and protection against the invasion and presence of elements foreign to the principles of the laws of existence, of self-protection, of mutual good government and its aim and results, our individual and collective welfare and happiness.

We are guided by the following principles which we submit for the calm, impartial consideration of all concerned.

Life’s highest gain is individual happiness; the duty of true and just government is to promote the same; to create, dispense and promote the greatest good to the greatest number. Where governments are formed they are and ought to be a mutual contract for equal rights equal burdens and equal justice to all, thereby promoting the welfare and happiness of all its members. No government can be just where elements are permitted to exist which by their nature are not fully responsible to all the duties of citizenship, and whose productions flow not in a collective fund to enrich the commonwealth with their productiveness, and assist the same with their full, true and loyal support. These principles are most grossly violated when elements are introduced in the body politic which while they share the full rights, benefits and protection of the government with the rest of the citizens, are not in sympathy and accord with the same; who do not contribute, morally and financially, to its support and maintenance. Such is the condition of all serfs imported to this country, and especially the coolie laborers of this coast, who are serfs and are not, and never will be, in any respect citizens of our country; with no desire to build, support and maintain our government, our public and private institutions, they become factors of our institutions, conducive of conditions which are positively and absolutely in every respect in direct opposition with every principal of the true republican-democratic government, are in opposition with every law of political economy, and are opposed to our homes, families, health, decency and morality; derogative to our wealth producers and laborers, appearing nothing less than public nuisances, which antagonize every law underlying the promotion of our society, our homes and government. Believing these facts and all their bearings to be by experience established as undisputable truths, we call on our citizens to adopt such rules and measures as are adapted to bring about the abrogation of the Burlingame treaty, by which the Chinese are permitted to come and remain here, and to use all lawful means to rid our country of their presence.

Resolved, That the present excited state of the people on this coast, and depressed condition of industries and commerce, are due to and directly traceable to the persistent refusal of congress to legislate in the interest of the people.

Resolved, That it is our firm and steadfast resolution to rid our territory, and if possible the United States, from the presence of Chinese slave labor. We call upon all citizens to aid and assist us in this great and important object.

Resolved, That to accomplish this end we ask all citizens to immediately discharge all Chinese in their employ.

Resolved, That on the return of the delegates to their respective localities they shall call mass meetings to be held on October 3, 1885, for the purpose of appointing committees to notify the Chinese to leave on or before November 1, 1885. These delegates shall call a mass meeting of the citizens to hear the reports of said committees on November 6, 1885.

Resolved, That these delegates inform the committee at Seattle, immediately after their respective meetings on November 6th, as to the action which has been taken in this great reform.

Resolved, That the Western Washington Congregational association, in asking for the unqualified repeal of the Chinese restriction act, misrepresented the sentiments of the people of Puget Sound and of the Pacific slope.

Resolved, That in adopting the above resolutions, we are guided by the conviction that the enforcement of the same will eradicate the Chinese evil, and we hold ourselves not responsible for any acts of violence which may arise from the non-compliance with these resolutions.

The preamble and resolutions were unanimously adopted.

The various papers on the Sound were requested to publish the preamble and resolutions in full.

Ordered that the original committee of ten be constituted a central committee and that the members of the convention be constituted committeemen in their respective localities.