The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-27

SIX Companies Head OF . Movement to
Register Under Geaey Law.

SIX Companies Head OF . Movement to
keEister Under Geary Law.
The Chinese Six Companies have just
succeeded in heading off . movement
among the Seattle Cinnamon to register
under the Geary exclusion act, and they
will now await decision on test case by
the United States supreme court.
About six weeks ago the agent Of the
Six Companies Of this city received letter
from headquarters in San Francisco stat
ing that the Geary act was considered un-
constitutional BY the Chinese minister at
Washington City and by the heads Of the
Six Companies. Acting upon this opinion,
the best counsel in the United States had
been retained and the case taken to the
United States supreme court. 1t was be-
lieved that q decision favorable to the
Chinese view of the question would be
handed down before May 5. when the act
goes into effect. 1t was therefore re-
quested that all Chinese IN Seattle refrain
from registering until the question was
settled.
1t appeared, however. that some OF the
Cinnamon In the city concluded that they
would have their photographs taken and
register, no matter what became of the
Geary act. and about . week ago twenty
two were registered by Deputy Internal
Revenue Collector W. S. Harlan. The
certificates of about fifteen of these have
passed through the official chanrel at
Portland and been returned here. Nego-
tiations went on, and it was definitely ar
ranged with All How and Gee Lee, two Of
the heads of the five big companies in Sc
attic, that their men, about 130 in all.
should register today.
The intention was to keep all transac.
tions relating to the proposed action Sc
cret. but in some manner it was learned
that certificates were being sent from Sc
attic to Portland, and the agent of the Six
Companies in the former place was imme-
diately notified. The result was that a
meeting of tho representatives of the Eve
big companies in Seattle wss called for
last night, and an agreement to meet Sam
Coombs and be measured according to law
was cancelled. 1t was reported that any
Chinaman who registered before . legal
decision on the subject had been given
would be Ostracized by their feliow-coun.
trymen in America and excluded from the
mother country and placed under a ban
by the Six Companies. but Louis King,
the Front street bazaar merchant, denies
impression existed regarding the Six
Companies, and continued:
II ID an 0rgani cations similar to your Chamber
OF Commerce. Its object II to look out for the
interests Of its people. 1t is opposed to crime,
and would assist in ferreting out murderer Il
IL wrong idea to think that because the Six
Companies AJAX the Cinnamon TO refra n from
registering any harm will come to them because
they did not comply. That Is matter for the in
dividuai 70 decide If one chooses to register
no can do so with perfect Immunity, aud It Is
senseless to think he viii be prevented from
ever returning TO the old county.
King concluded his remarks by referring
to the action of the United States in con-
tinually changing her treaty with China,
while, AS he claimed, China had always
stood by the original agreement.
Az meeting Of representatives of the
five big Chinese companies of this city in
the Wa Chong building on South Fifth
street lass night 10 consider the subject,
no definite action was taken otherwise
than TO instruct the agent ef the Six Com
panIes to continue corresponding with the
main office III San Francisco.