The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-29
CHINESE CITIZENS.
What John All Woh says OF His Fellow
Countrymcn who have Voted.

Countrymen who have Voted.
John All Woh, the Chinese tobacco folder
OF Baxter street. sat last evening In Thomas
All Yecs restaurant ut 20 Mott street whore n
number OF Celostials were enjoying their
Thanksgiving turkey. The turkey. Drowned
and juicy. was carved into little bits. and served
on wooden platters. after which 1t was picked to
the bones by their wooden sticks. A handsome
flag Of the United States was surrounded by
little Chinese flags. while every plate was COW
cred with Chinese embems.
John An Woh looked up when the reporter
introduced himself. and making q polite bow.
said Here ia my paper, was made the first
citizen Of this country. You SEQ II was drawn
out in 1868. | have voted every year since |
am now wenty-eight years in this city. Wong
Ah-Yeo was the last made citizen. There have
only been ten citizens made OF our counirymen
T. this city: OF the ten myself, Thomas Al
first voted in 1875. and william Ali Sing. of So
Cherry street. who was made citizen In the
same year. md two who live up town, are the
only remaining Chinese voters left in New
York. OF the others. ono went 10 Frisco two
died, and another went back to China. Wong
All zee ia not long In this country. He and Al
Ling want TO make tho Cinnamon vote their
way. The Cinnamon. they study the laws Of
the best. voted for Mr.. Cooper"
F,ifa As Hrah
Day before yesterday Judge Larrcmorc. Of
the Court Of Common Pleas. formally admitted
'TRc ' new citizen is Chnamap Of unusual in
teligcnce When lac appeared before Judge
Larremore for naturalization he wis bocom-
ingy dressed in a thorough American costume.
and but for his long black hair ana copper COLI
sturdy Anglo Sax6n Wong An Yec brought
for HE witness John c. laptlste. a half blood.
his mother having been Chinese and his father
Portuguese. Both Wong An Yee and Baptiste
answered the usual questions put To- them 10y
grammatical English The applicant said he
had been Il resident Of New York for the past
eight years and had declared his intention OF
becoming n citizen OF tho United States two
years ago. When about 10 be sworn In by the
clerk OF the court Wong Ala zee was questioned
in "A future state Of rewards and punishments.
He said he believed IN the existence Of a Su-
preme Being, and thought he should be nun
lshed II no did wrong and rewarded II no did
right. II was then ascertained that he was
married TO an lrshwoman and was doing
good cigarmnking business in Baxter street
Mr.. Jarvis. the clerk OF the court. said that he
believed that Wong All zee had not taken this
RICH; 10 vote. but that his main object was to
hold the property which he had acquired by his
THRIFT and industry during his residence in this
admitted in that court Turks, Persians, Maays.
Asiatics and Japanese. all Of whom were US
highly colored as the Chnamnn.
Two cases in the United States courts have
been passed upon denying the rights Of China
in this State. Tie California case is a very
noted one, All Hup applied for naturalization
In the ulted states tlr 'ult court, before Judge
ground that a native Of China Of the Monaghan
race Is not entitled TO become q citizen OF the
United States under the Revised Statutes. "a
amended In 1875 because n MOngOlan IL not Il
white person" within the meaning Of the term
as used in the naturalization laws VI the United
States.
Judge Sawyer held that the term white per,
SON applied only 70 the Caucasian race. and
said II was so understood in popular language
in literature. and III scientific nomenclature.
Al the time OF the amepdment; IN $50. extend
Mr.. sumner made repeated and strenuous ei-
| forts 10 strike out the word white and was
opposed on the sole ground that the effect would
be 10 authorize the admission OF Chinese To
| citizenship. Every Senator who spoke on the
subject assumed that they were then excluded
| by the term white person" and that the
amendment would admit them. 1t is clear
. that Congress retained the word white In
excluding the Chinese from the right II natural
ization." The Court. therefore. ruled that n
white person within the meaning Of the act.
This decision was, made last April. and at
parts Of tie country. On the 10Th Of July
| Charles Miller, Chinaman. who has resided
in this city twenty-eight years, and who camo
| application for Naturalization before Judge
Choate. in the Circuit Court Mller's !appllca-
ton was made for the purpose Of enabling h IN
| 10 devise his real estate when he dies but j Judge
| Chonte denied the application on the same
ground as that taken by Judge Sawyer in the
aud OF this construction Of the law that the
Court OF Common Pleas acted yesterday in adj
| hitting Wong All zee 70 citizenship. the ruling
| OF the State court being in exact opposition 10
that Of the Federal court here and In California.
Judge Larremore was found at his private res
| idence. 92 East sXtieth street, last night by n
| Herald reporter. who said; With your per-
mission would like e INQUIRE INTO the nartic-
been the practice OF the Court up TO this pc
ri9dwyn al - ro,,io, tho 1ndco "tho corr,s hovo
dnelippH % lllnumpn
| Of the Monaghan race. on the ground that they
We're neither white nor black and did not en-
ter into tho provisions Of the Constitution"
ON what principle was your action In the
IRE man d S came to me ana depa9ded as
cred that he was either white or black. and
that he must come within one OF the other pro-
Judge Choate had declined 10 naturalizo a
Chinaman, and sent him q note asking him
| about II. i asked him upon what case he rel ed
| for the exclusion OF Cinnamon Tor purposes ol
What was his repy?'
| :" He referred mo To the case Of All Yup. re-
! ported in the Pacific Coast Lar Journal volume
l. page 1876, He said that he followed that de-
| csion In case in this district. but wrote NJ
opinion, II he had written an opinion would
have felt bound to follow i out Of courtesy, ~
We always seek TO have uniformity In our COURT
What was your object in granting the pa
I'VE want to have the. matter tested said The
| Judge. thoughtfully. In order TO have thi'
done somebody had to be naturalized or roluseC
naturalization
What was Wong All Yee's nppearancep
You could not tell this man from Spaniard,
said the Judge. " l have seen Spaniards. Yves
Indiamen. Just about the same type. lie was
bright. Intelligent man, and talked English a.
well as ! do. Altogether. thought would give
this matter n chance to be aired. II Is prettl
serious question. issued the papers intend
ing 70 make IA test case
| - Who Is 10 test II Z"
" 1t may come up II he should try TO exercs,
the elective franchise. II he should try 10 Vot'
he might be challenged. Then he could get
writ Of mandamus from the courts against thu
inspectors OF election. and the matter woul,
como up regularly. ] think this case in Cali
fornia may 20 10 tho United States Court"
Would there be any appeal from tho State t
| the Unitod States Courts 2"
" / think that # this case wero carried 10 thu
highest court in the State 1t would, in viGO 0
tho greut constitutional questions inyoyeNNi
rect that the case should be carried to the Cour
Of Appeals of tho United States. 1t Is JOIN
Chinaman standing up to become an American
citizen. II negroes are admitted, and all othe
foreigners, don't know upon what ground w
could put n refusal to Cinnamon. The Consti
tuition provides for no other classes OF colo
than white aud black and hold that Chinamel
! must eQme within oae or the oheE"