The herald., 1893-06-01
A LRvEL-HRADRD PREACHER.
A Minister Expresses sound Views on tho
Geary Law.

A Minister Expresses Sound Views on the
Geary Law.
Rev. T. H. Woodward of the Powell
street Acknowledgements church, San
Francisco, delivered some decidedly
plain views on the Geary law last Sun
day. We subjoin an epitome of his re.
marks. He said:
"The news has been faahed across
the continent that the Methodist Epis-
copal churches throughout the United
States have been requested to engage in
prayer today that God may influence
the minds of the leaders of our nation
to evade the Geary law or to find some
way of declaring it Unconstitutional. I
believe that the 'fervent and effectual
prayer of a righteous man availeth
much provided he be in harmony with
Gods will, but / am not clear that it is
God's will that we shall seek to evade a
law or to break law.
NEITHER BARBARoUs NOR INHUMAN.
81 do not consider that the Geary law
is either inhuman or barbarous. 1t was
enacted to enforce the laws passed in
1884 and 1888. And l feel that l am in
harmony with the words of Otis Gibson
(of hlessed memory and, believe of +.
j. Masters, when | say that believe in
Chinese restriction, if not in Chinese
exclusion. The Chinese have been
evadiDg the laws of 1884 and 1888, and
have been coming in, both by the back
door and by the front door, and also
from the sides, into our coNntry; and
the Geary law is to support and make
effective the exclusion law, and is not
an act for deportation, but rather law
for the purpose of identification, by
which the Chinese may be identified,
and which works no greater hardship
upon the Chinese than it does upon the
foreigner to become q naturalized citi-
zen.
II am native of Canada, and when
became naturslized they took minute
description of my person, the color OF
my hair and my eyes, my height and
my distinguishable marks; and every
time have been transferred from one
county to another / have been obliged
to make oath that was naturalized at
certain time and place and by cer-
tain judge. 1t has put me to some in
convenience. and have frequently been
deprived of my right OF franchise.
IN 1871 lanued IN san Franclsco
from British Columbia. / paid $5 for
the privilege OF landing,s and thus the
Geary act, | say, with it's provisions for
registration of their descriptions, ie no
greater hardship than any foreigner has
to bear who undertakes to become cit
izen."
MUST NTERPosE SOME SAFEGUARD.
Mr.. Woodward expressed his fullest
sympathy with all movements for the
evangelizstion of the Chinese, but he
had to consider that the law Of self
preservation was the first law of life and
our vital interest as a nation, he was
convinced, made it imperative for the
American people to throw some safe
guard around their gates to prevent the
increasing, demoralizing invasion of the
Mongol.
"If the coolie," said he, ''the laborer,
were left alone he would register, but
that great corporation, the six compa-
MES, are making thousands of dollars
out of the violation of this law"
He was satisfied that the Six compa-
MES were at the bottom of the whole
scheme of evasion; that the laborers
would keep the law if they were not
under their terrorizing influence. TAX.
ing this into consideration and seeing
also that the question of the constitu-
tionality of the Gesry act had been sat-
isfactorily settled, he would be in favor
of giving the Chinese one more month
in which to register. But, by all means,
obey the law.