Chinese immigrants along the West Coast are accused by newspapers and some public health officials for an epidemic of the bubonic plague. California business leaders protest any public health measures, blaming the plague on Chinese immigrants.

Joseph Kinyoun, head of the Marine Health Service, releases reports outlining the extent of the plague and calling for quarantine and other measures. Business leaders, led by the California governor, protest these reports and put pressure on the government to keep them quiet, while continuing to blame Chinese community members for the illness.