The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-17
WON'T REGISTER.
Providence Chi namen viii Not Comply
With the Geary Law.

Providence Chi namen Will Not Comply
With the Gesry Law.
The Geary Chinese Exclusion Law has
Chinese of this State On the contrary
they are most bitterly opposed to the
Mclean attempt to catechise them, and
the majority are firmly of the opinion
that the law is u direct blow at their
freedom, and, unless it be revoked, they
declare that they will abandon their
washboards aud return to the Flowery
Kingdom without delay.
Not one Chinaman has yet been in
duced To fill out the blanks provided by
law. Two have signified their willing
ness to do SO, but Oh account OF the
technicalities of the questions and the
treacherous condition OF the Chinese
memory they have been unable to do so.
Deputy Collector George w. Gardiner
says that the question submitted in the
blanks are OF such nature that the
majority OF Cinnamon cannot answer
them even were they 80 disposed.
For instance, not one Celestial In a
hundred can tell when he landed in this
country nor the name of the ship on
which he sailed. Moreover, it is next to
impossible for Cninaman TO get any
one to act as witness.
Aside from the inability to answer
technical questions contained in the
blank, the Cnlnainen are bitterly opposed
TO the law ON general PRINCIPLES, aud re-
gard IL as an attempt TO discrim nate
against the race.
Deputy Gardiner has met with several
Celestials who had many fluent argu-
ments on their tongues end. They state
that the law should not apply TO Chinese
alone; tnat they do not work any cheaper
than no many other immigrants to THIS
country. The majority of diseases, they
say, are brought nere by the Russian
Jews: and furthermore tney state that
they will he d--d If they will sub nit To
the law. They also have a preconceived
antipathy TO the provision OF the law re-
quirlng them 20 submit to the photo
graphing process.
Tne sight OF camera throws the aver
age Celestial into paroxyism Of terror,
and he disappears into the bowels of the
earth with celerity and completeness
that renders IL impossible To get at him
under any circumstances. Deputy Gard
Der has succeeded in decoying one China.
man into the studio, however, and the
"fiotoglaph" F" has been source of un-
alloyed interest and awe to brother Cnina-
men ever since.
The action OF easthetes in Boston, who
petitioped congress To cease tue persecu-
Jion of the Chinese, has served as an ad-
ditional pretext for evasion OF the law.
uc DOluJ W IL dS a SDeclal
vindication of their refusal To register.
Moreover, there Is an "a ,tonishing amount
OF general information on the subject
among the Chinese. but this is easily ex-
planned by the fact that every Chinaman
IN the country is coached on the rules by
special instructions from headquarters.
Lamblike ana innocent as he LOOKS, John
is no fool where his interests are con-
cerned, and although the printed blank
involves him in bewIlderiug maze OF
technicality, he has u very Keen percep.
tion of what is wanted in general, and he
does not propose TO submit tamely If he
can help 1t.
There is no penalty for refusal to regis
ter except transportation aud the Chinese
say that they will undergo that process
before they will submit To the demands
Of the law. To send all OF the Chinamau
back to their homes would cost the gov
ernment a round $4,000. 0O0, aud the willy
laundryman knows IL.
Tue celesJials express themselves un-
compli nentarv 20 Uncle Sam and employ
numerous lurid adjectives To signify
their opinion OF the "Melican laws in gen
eraL" Most of the Mongolians in the
city are regular attendants of the
"Loundtlop" church. but their hostility
TO the Geary law has caused them TO
swear in most unmistakable pure Eug.
lish.