, 1873-05-29
THE HEATHEN CH1NEE,


| obstacle placed on Chinese immigration Ia of d
/ threofo1d nature. First, all Cinnamon sentenced
to tho County Jail arc to bo deprived Of
their pigtnilB. This touches them In d tender
spot. Every well-rogulatod Ohinaman regards
bis pigtai1 with vonoration. He would almost as
aoon part with his head as with that ornate np-
pendage. For any outside barbarian to mutilato
It, is profanity to cut 1t off, is ancrilogo. II ia
clearly within tho loyal power Of tho San Fran
cisco Supervisors to carry out this hoad-ehaving
right to Bhoar On American or IN Irish convict,
they have the aamo right to ahear what little
hair is lett in tho Chinese conviot's piytail.
While euch punishment may soon a very
triaiug ono to Americans, 1t is very serious ono
from tho Co1oatial point Of view, and the san
shrewdneaH in having hit upon Nh oxpodlont for
abolishing tho cheap labor Of tho noathon Chi
neo which doos not involve an act uf barbarity,
which is apparently harmless, and got thoroughly
effective.
Tho othor foatrres Of the pl.-,, however, will
not hold wator, One Of these Ia to prohibit tho
removal OF dead bodies to China, and tho other;
tho imposition Of q tax Fof $15 por quarter on
Chinese laundrymen. Tho privilege Of burial in
Chinese soil is the Last privilege with which d
Chinaman will willingly part. Tho few
prospects OF Immortality which Buddhism
holds ont disappear entirely il tho lato doceaHod
ia buried outside tho Great Wall. He loses all
those dolicato attentions which otherwise would
DO paid to Ills grave, in the shapo Of fro.craokors
colored paper, rico offerings, etc., and has no
ono to look after him whom ho arrivos IN the
othor world. To Chlnaman, the Chinese route
is tho only route to Hoavon, and this custom Of
burial in Chinese soil is such vitnl point TINT
III all contracts for Chinese labor in this country
d special clause is inserted which bint1a
the contractor to send back ali who Bhal1
happen to dio before tho contract OK
pireB, and their comrades always sec
to 1t that this clauao is faithfully carried out.
This proposition, therefore, is quito as cunning
aa that to eliminate tho pigtail. but It Ia queH-
tionable whether thoy havo tho legal right to
prohibit tho removal OF tho bodieH. Tho
Chinese arc not ctizons. They never demand
or exercise any of tho peculiar rights Of otizons.
They come hore only to mako como money and
then return to thoir native land, and VIC question
whether the authorities havo any more right to
stop thom from going buck doad than they havo
to stop them from going buck alive. Such reg-
ulation is clearly violation not only of inter-
national law, but Of treaty stipulations.
Tho third md last proposition, to levy spe-
cial tux on Chinese laundrymen, is plainly illegal
and In eontravontioa Of treaty atipulatious which
cannot DO thus arbitrarily aot aside by municipal
or State law. Tho treaty bctwcon tho United
statos and China guarantees them tho Bamo
privileges OF making living and engaging in
business as other aliena In this country, md
these guarantees are reciprocal. The San Fran
cisco Supervisors might, with tho same consist
ency, levy a tax upon German boor-sollora OK
clusively, or Irish grocors exclusively, or dis
criminato in any othor way against for
in that city, therefore, aro disposed to test tho
tux IN tho courts, tho decision will indubitably
bo in their favor. It ia highly probable also
that the Courts would decide TINT tile authorities
hayo no right to prevent tho removal Of bodies
to China. The loss OF tho pigtail, however,
ati remains, and its effect will DO quito as forc-
bio In preventing emigration as the other two
plans combined, inasmuch as without that
appendago tho Chinaman loaoH casio in this
world and jeopardizos happiness in the no1t.
The limitation Of tho rule to conyicts is an
unimportant ono. Cheap labor Is at tho
bottom Of tho whole matter, and
thousand and ono protenscs will DO mado to got
Cinnamon Into jail. The aamo dispatch which
brings tho nows OF the action Of tho authorities
states that the County Jai1 is overcrowled with
Chinese convicted Of violation Of the sleeping
ordinance, requiring certain amount Of space
tor each man in lodging-houses. There ia still
more important question involved, and TINT is
tho moral right Of any country to rcfuBo for
eignora tho privilege Of earning tor living in it,
which suggests wldo aud fortilo field Of ill.,
Quiry for the social economist.