The Cannery Confrontation: Tacoma’s Labor Fight Over Chinese Workers

At a meeting of the Tacoma City Council, Mayor Thwing shared a letter he had received regarding the arrival of Chinese laborers. A Mr. John McGovern, acting as an agent for the firm William T. Coleman & Co., had spoken to the Mayor about bringing Chinese men to work in a salmon cannery in the Third Ward. The Mayor had made it clear to McGovern the sentiment of the community regarding Chinese labor. Later, the company sent a letter stating: 'It would be impossible for us to run the cannery successfully without employing Chinese labor... we have therefore decided to take with us a sufficient number of Chinamen to attend to the inside working of the cannery. We will, however, see to it that the Chinamen we take up to Tacoma do not go out into the town; we will have them remain in our premises... Should the labor unions give us any trouble we will naturally look to you to give us whatever protection may be necessary.'

There was a dead silence in the council chamber for fully a minute after the letter was read. When the debate resumed, Mr. Collins stated: 'This is practically a notification to the Mayor and City Council that these people expect trouble and warn us to be on our guard... The complete riddance of the city from this pest has been a source of congratulation to our citizens every day since then.' Mayor Thwing, before putting the motion to table the letter, concluded: 'There is but one way for me to do in this matter. If things have reached such a state that I am required to support the sentiments or prejudices of the people as against the plain letter of the law, then my resignation is in your hands. I was elected and took my oath of office to support the Constitution and the laws... I cannot [violate the law], and will step down.'