The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1870-02-19
The chine,e 81 c.liforni..

Ihc auoptiOn OF the l5th amendment Tor the
declaration of its adoption, which, is the same
thing, for 1T never was honestly adopted)
brings home to California the Chinese ques-
tion with force both urgent and startling.
According to report recently submitted to
the legislature of that state by committee of
the lower house, there are now in California
about 40, 900 Chinese, land the increase of their
number, under the coolie SYSTEM is full fifty
per cent, greater than that of the white popu-
lation." Ten years, at this rate, must see Cali
fornia nnder the political control of the CHI
nese. The sort of "a state in the Union
that will make of California may be gathered
from the following further startling revela-
tions the report in question makes in reference
to the Chinese: -1a t.. '-.
They are under a government as absolute and
perfect AZ any that ever existed which system of
government is maintained and enforced in Cali.
fornia, so far rs the Chinese concerned, Who'll
ly independent, outside and in derisien of the
authority Of the state Of California, as we'll as
that OF the government of the United States.
This government is known a. the "Six Compan-
les, ~ the agent and superintendent of the whole
business of Chinese immigration. The Six
Companies have their headquarters in China are
authorized by the Celestial government and claim
and exercise authority over every Chinaman
who migrates from his own country to a foreign
land They constitute emporium in iRaperio,
which has its officers, its tribunals and execu.
TONERS of its DEGREES. Individuals have been
imprisoned in Chino-California prisons, hoggcd,
beaten and otherwise inaltreated, and their prop.
erty confscated under the authority and BY
command of this six Companies" government;
and there is no reasonable ground Of doubt
Though this Is not susceptible of proof that the
death penalty has been frequently inflicted by
the same agency That the Chinese should do
cilely submit to this domination when they need
not is attributed to their peculiar habits and Gus
toms, and their Ignorance Of our language and
laws. As near as can be ascertained nine
OF the Chinese in California are of that class gen.
orally known as "coolies'-that is, persons who
are, to all intents and purposes practically as
complete slaves to their masters as ever were the
negroes OF tire Carolinas and Georgia. These
masters are wealthy residents of China, who hire
the coolies to work fer them in California fer a
term Of five years for the sum Of S5 month each,
the masters paying all their expenses while here
and their passage to this country and back to
China, dead or alive. These singular contracts
are rigidly enforced in California as we'll as in
China. There are in California three thousand
Chinese women, the greater proportion of whom
have been abducted from their homes and
brought to this country for the most shameful
purposes. They are sold and bartered to the
highest bidder, like sheep or cattle, and are re.
garded in California Legitimate articles of
merchandise. The ordinary police regulations
OF the State are powerless to arrest the traffic.
When these ''Six Compancs" located in
Ch:na-fnd it convenient or profitable to sell
the votes of their slaves in California to some
swashbuckler politician, of course it will only
be a fair business transaction to do so and
the when Six Companies" having control Of a
majority Of the votes in California, as they
soon will have, find it convenient to take the
complete control OF the state government out
If the hands of the whites and transfer it to
their bamboo office in Hong Kong or Pekin,
what is to prevent them from doing SO Yer
lily this 18th amendment-the crowning
achievement of radical rule-is altogether
blessed institution, especially for California.