Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-06-28
Chinese Immigration,

The sacrifices and risks undertaken
by the Chinese emigrants and their
relatives are truly heroic. Before the
passage Of the law forbidding Amer
lean vessels to engage in the coolie
trade, the emigrant was bound to
work a certain length Of time after
his arrival in the United States at q
stipulated sum per month, out Of
which the cmigrant's passage money
was repaid. American employers and
capitalists being now forbidden to adj
vance money for the passage. as that
would be directly engaging in the COO
lie trade, emigrants apply to the
wealthy among their own countrymen,
and give their security here. In this
Is the worst feature of the whole bu-
sinesS. The coolie (all Iaborers are
called coolics) goes to the rulers or
elders of his town or village, aud
with the consent Of those interested
gives security on the persons Of his
family for such a sum as will secure
his passage to the United States
The elders 90 to the Mandarin and
give him their united bond for the
amount. The Mandarin in turn gives
his note to the ticket brokers, who
furnish the coolic with his ticket.
The bond, by which all the persons
are bound, given TO secure the coolie' 5
note held by the brokers, stipulates
that in case the cooHe fails to pay the
sum charged for his ticket. including
the fees Of brokers, Mandarin, and ell.
ders, within the specified time, then
the endOrsers will pay the same with.
ont question. The sum charged to
the coolie ior the ticket, which costs
the broker but $40, is often as high
as $500 or $500. In five instances
out of ten, he will fail to meet his OBJ
legation. If he fails to pay, the bro
kers here demand payment of the
Mandarin at once. The Mandarin
pays the note. charging a heavy fee fol
so doing. The elders pay the Mauda
rim, charge another fee, and demand
the amount from the coolies family
They being unable to pay are sold of
one after another, beginning with The
youngest girl, until enough is realized
to cancel the debt.
In this way whole families are of
ten reduced to slavery to pay for ;
$40 ticket Two families were sole
in Canton lately to satisfy such ;
debt. One of the notes was for $3.50
Two unmarried girls, each Is year.
old, were purchased by an Italian
proaigate at S75 apiece. One DO,
was sold for $50. Six persons in al
were sold before the requisite amour
was raised. Girls, however, Otter
bring higher prices, and sometime
the sale OF a handsome daughter vii
be sufficient. 1t is not untrcquent 70.
different members of family to urg
that they may be sold instead Of SOM
loved one that is offered. The head
of families sell themselves into servi
tude to save their families.
Chinese, beside, the sacred famil,
ties common to all mankind, have
strong religious desire that their child
rem should be free, to pay devotion t
their memories after they are dead
When they sell child, they beliey
= that it is sold body and soul, and tina
it can never again be a relative G
theirs. either in this world or tn
!, next; and unless they leave childre
to pay them certain kinds Of devotio
: after death, their souls "wilI wande
7 forever, naked, cold, and hungr,
G through an eternal waste of darkness
J.. and terror" 1t has sometimes hal
pened that after sale Of a family, tt
coolie returning finds a portion of tt
t claim still unsatisfed, and he himse
t is sold for it.
J. The precautions which the Chimes
g take against being buried on foreie
:, soil or in the sea are not because
any religious fears with regard to tt
. peace of their souls, as is common
:. supposed. If :hey were able to secul
b passage for their entire families, al
J. to own land in the United States, tn,
would be as contented with the pro
+ pect OF burial there as in their nati
- villages. If the laws of the Unite
Y States permitted the contract systeI
this outrageous brokerage busine
70 could be abolished, and for the mon
# 1t now costs to carry one person,
: whole family could secure tickets
" Another result would be in the en-
u grafton of thousands instead of hu
1T dreds. The desire to reach the U,
D. ted States is so great that even vi
II the present bad system, vessels enou
cannot be chartered to take those
~ waiting.