The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-22

ality and at the same time to apply by tele
graph to such attorneys in the East as Car
ter, Choate, Evarts, etc, for opinions, and
when they were received to base future
sction upon the verdict Of the majority of
the lawyers consulted.
Two or three weeks elapsed before all
the opinions were received, and then. as
they one and all said that the law. In their
opinion. was unconstitutional. the Six
Companies decided to make the fight be-
fore the Supreme Court of the United
States that recently ended so dsastrously
for them. The question of cost was dis
cussed and II was decided that, with the
available money on hand, the companies
would need fully $780,
The plan of charging every Chinese in
the United States who was amenable to
the law 81, and assess the merch ants in
proportion to the number of men they had
under contract, was adopted. Then the
first circular was issued to all Chinese in
the United States. telling them to refuse
to register, but to be sure and not forget to
send in their dollars.
Money began to flow in and the Chinese
became en;hused. Merchants contributed
double and treble the amounts due from
them according to the schedule made.
Firms in China sent money-not dollars
alone. but hundreds of dollars-until by
and-by the Six Companies boasted that
they had a fund of upward of $500. 900 that
could be used If necessary in defeating the
registration law.
Shortly after this boast was made the
fight began in earnest. Collector Quinn ad-
vising the Chinese to obey the law, and
warning them of the consequences if they
did not. Then the Six Companies issued
another circular. again advising the Chi
nese to pay no attention to the law, and
not forgetting to remind those who had
failed to pay their assessment that theil
money was needed.
And so 1t went until 1t is said that over
S500.000 was collected by the Six Com
panies TO use in defeating the Geary act
The Companies failed 10 defeat the law
and the merchants who put up $1,000 in
order to save the deportation of four or
five hundred men they hao brought from
China under contract. paying their ex-
penses and feeding them for months with
only the prospect of getting their money
back when they could rent the men out as
to know why it was that Inc Six Com
panies had failed to keep their promises.
One thing ed to another, until finally the
merchants who had been most liberal in
their contributions suggested that an ac-
counting by the Six Companies would be
appreciated.
The companies called meeting of pres
idents and invited the kIckers to be pres
ent At that meeting the Item. of expense
we're read and then the companies said
the merchants would have to take their
word as to the expenditure of a certain
amount. intimating the money had been
used in bribing Influential people.
This started row among the presidents
themselves, as one or two men had entire
charge of the disbursement OF the funds
collected, and the outsiders in the council
had never heard anything about bribes of
thousands of dollars. A statement of the
cash on hand was demanded but not forth
coming. and then it was decided TO expert
the books. So Yong How Seen was sent
for, and is here.
Chinese merch ants are outspoken in say
ing that unless the money has been prop
erly expended (and they do not object 10
bribes If the bribes have been paid they
propose to make trouble for somebody un-
/ less they get portion of their money
back. The Six Companies are quietly
warning the "kickers'' that the fight
against the registration act is not over, and
should Congress fail to help the Chinese
out not only all the money subscribed and
not spent, but thousands OF dollars be-
sides will be, needed in helping the Chi
nese TO evade the law.
Ali in all it's a pretty row, but unfor-
tunately tile Chinese fight only among
themselves and hide all results, when DOS
sible, from the outside world. So after all,
the public is not at all likely TO know any
thing about the investigation or the results
attendant upon il.
The unfortunate attack of few hood
lums who were i'll the procession on Satur-
day night upon a Chinese laundryman's
wagon. which they met while marching
out to the rev City Hall. is being magni-
fed by the Six Companies, who will send a
highly-colored report of the alleged out
rage to their Minister at Washington, the
evident intention being to have the same
published in the East in order to manu-
facture sympathy for the Chinese among
The class Of people who have already been
denouncing the Geary act and urging its
repeal.
The truth about the Outrage is that
the Chinese laundryman was hooted at
/ and one rock was thrown at him, which,
missing him, hit and wounded a white boy
on the sidewalk. Neither the Chinese, his
horse or wagon was injured in the least
and worse "outrages" are perpetrated
every day in New York and Washington
City by boys upon Chinese, Italian organ
/ grinders and tramps found on the street.
/ 1t is anything with the Chinese now Lo
/ gain point against the Geary law, and
/ truth is at a discount when 1t interferes
with their plans.
MARCHED BACK TO JAIL.