The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-10-07

TRUST in the Lord" There is comfort
now in that Scripture which saith "no
man knoweth the day nor the hour"
And so | reckon the earth will hold to.
gether while longer.
BILL ARP.
The Chinese in America.
BY CHM GIN.
The greatest number of our people in
America are found in California. To
obtain satisfactory idea of them, it will
be necessary, frat, to ask who are these
people and how came they here?
It has been aaid that they are coolies;
that means that they belonged to
degraded caste in their native land.
There is no caste in our country, nor any
more in the United States. The mistak-
en- ideas which some have on this subject
have arisen from the confounding of the
Chinese and their customs with those of
India, where the entire social system is
widely different. The Hindoo word
coolie is one of those inflicted upon our
people, in whose language it has no
equivalent and who have no caste or
class which it represents.
It would be justly held degrading to
English laborers of whatever occupation
in China to be called coolies, and it is
not right to attach to our people the
hatred of social debasement which is
peculiar to another people.
Our emigrants here are just what those
of any other people are, farmers, carpen.
ters, stone.masons, brick-layers, shop.
keepers, book. binders, tea.packers, gar.
deners, cooks, and just what an equal
number from any other country might be
expected to represent in the variety of
their occupations. Even some wealthy
SONS coming over to this country with
the intention of making large fortune
have been reduced into hard laborers,
because they are ashamed to send home
for money while they are in this rich
country seeing others making their for.
tunes. Some that speak English best
have been employed in factories, as clerks
in stores, as Interpreters in offices:
Again it has been often said, the
Chinese came to this country as employees
and bondsmen of six different stock
companies, or by capitalists. Now, let
me say that the mistaken notion of the
American people in this matter arises
from their not understanding the true
nature of these companies. There are
six of these companies and each one rep.
resents the district from which it comes.
When any of our people visit any other
province of our country in considerable
numbers, it is our custom to have q com.
mon quarter or place of assembling
which we style gathering place or COM
pany's house, being wholly provided with
iood and lodging at their own cost by
contribution. When our people emigrate
to any foreign country, Asia or America,
for instance, they Immediately organize
and begin to erect house for common
Headquarters. An agent or superinten.
dent is selected who registers The names
of the members and manages the affairs
of the company. =.
Bylaws for the government of this
company are formulated, and these are
rejected at pleasure by majority vote OF
the members. Servants are employed to
take care of the building, cook the food
and attend to the sick. When an emf
grant steamer arrives on the Pacific
coast, messengers are sent at once to learn
to what company the passengers belong,
which provides express wagons to bring
their baggage, and kindly receives and
takes care Of them until they find their
friends or get employment.
Their names are registered and they
become members of that company.
Each man is required to pay into the
common treasury $500 for defraying the
expenses of the company. They do not
come as employees or bondsmen of any
company, neither are their wagons con-
trolled by company. They come as men,
thew come as private individuals. they
come seeking their fortunes. II any
does not have the means to pay his pass
age, he borrows of his neighbor. Our
people come to the American shore
lust as and other people-the German or
the Irishman. They come as laborers
willing to put their hands to whatever
will Weld them a livelihood in fact,
there is as much variety represented IN
their employments as might be expected
Of an equal number of emigrants from
any other country. When any one
wishes to return to China he must notify
tho company two weeks before the time
of his departure. This gives his credi.
tors an opportunity; he cannot 60 OF
saving nothing about his debts. His
name is put upon the bulletin boards and
be is expected to square all his accounts
before he returns to China, whether those
debts be owing to Americans or China
men, and no one can take passage in the
home. bound vessel without certificate
issued by the company. These cumpa-
MES, instead of making bondsmen-as
the people suppose-make freemen of
them, secure their individual interests,
and prevent unprincipled men from TAX
ing advantage of those whom they have
dealings. No Chinaman is held under
obligation to the company by any bond
stronger than his own desire 10 be con-
nected with it. For instance, when
Chinamau in one of these companies
becomes converted to Christianity, he
finds the idol worship there obnoxious,
offensive to him, and withdraws from the
company at his own pleasure; his mem
bership in that company ceases just as
The membership of an Odd Fellow ceases
when he leaves off paying his dues and
withdraws from the lodge, only the Chi
naman has no dues to nav to his company
except the initiation fee of $6, which ne
paid when his name was registered. The
Christian convert having thus Withdrawn
from the company it has no more juris
tliction over him. If he wishes to return
to his native land he can do so by simply
paying his fare. He is not obliged to
secure q certificate from The company
before he can get passage in steamer,