The morning call., 1893-04-01

Extract From the Circular of the Sir Conn
pGnieS Issued Yesterday.
The Chinese Six Companies can no longer
deny that they are openly opposing the
Geary act, and are not only advising the
Chinese 10 refuse to obey it. but are proms-
ing them protection in case they refuse to
register.
Yesterday the Six Companies issued
circular ITO all Chinese in America" once
more urging them TO refuse to register, and
setting forth in alluring language the prom
ises of protection and the assurance that
the law would be repealed.
1t was with no little trouble that THE
CALL secured a copy of the circular, and 1t
vas found almost impossible to secure a
translation of it after the copy had been
secured.
a portion Of the circular is given above
in Chinese. A liberal translation of the
introduction will show its purport. The
Introduction says:
This new registration law is not right. All the
authorities we have consulted agree 10 this.
We have employed five attorneys 10 go 10
Washington 10 The United States Supreme Court
TO fight This unjust law. Wait uutil the 9th of
MAY before you 10 awning In this matter
Wait and we viii help you.
The Chinese Ministers have gone TO the head
men Of the United States Government TO get de
cislOns and we soon hope to get them In order
that our people may not be arrested and sent 10
jail.
jail II these decisions are favorable, as we think
they will be.
You ought to do what is right and not take
mG2ey for registration and thus lose your re-
specIaDllity.
The nircular fhan onas m 70 sla4a tbot
the Chinese Minister at Washington has
laid the matter before the board of for
eign affairs" /. e, the representatives of
other Governments. and has asked the Sec
rotary of State to arrange with the United
States AttorneyGeneral for an early trial
of test case and to notify all officers of
the Government to suspend the operations
of the law until such time as a hearing by
the United States Supreme Court can be
had
The Chinese Minister asked that the trial
of the test case be set for not later than
May u next, but no definite arrangements
were made with the Attorney General or
the court as to the date other than that 1t
should be as early as possible; nor was
any promise made that the operations OF
the law should be suspended while the case
is being tried.
All through the circular the Six Com
panles urge the Chinese to stand together
and refuse to register. and they print that
portion of their Minister'S message in
which he informs the President of the
United States that Chinese arrested in San
Francisco are to be placed on Goat Island 10
live, the idea evidently being tc arouse the
ire of the Chinese who are inclined to
register by intimating that the white men
propose TO resort to any sort of cruelty in
order to punish them.
The Six Companies promise to help all
Chinese who refuse to obey the law, and
over and over again reiterate the fact that
all lawyers say the law is unconstliu-
tionaL
The circular is signed by the Jung Wah
Woy QuooD, or Six Companies, and, in
consequence. will have great weight with
the Chinese laborers.
In the message of the Chinese Minister to
. the Secretary OF State, which is printed in
full in the circular, as is the reply of the
United States Government, special proml-
nence is given to the idea that the United
States Supreme Court will decide upon the
law not lateI than May 10, and probably on
May u, and, therefore, even in cases of
arrest for falling to register, the Chinese
will only be in custody few days when the
law will be declared no good" as the
translator expressed it.
All this is done. of course, to bolster up
the courage If the men who should and
would obey the law but for the Six Com
panies' mandate.
The reply Of Secretary Gresham 10 the
Chinese Minister expresses no opinion, but
only says that the State Department will do
all In It's power to have the vexed question
as to the constitutionality OF the Geary act
decided at the earliest possible date. bat no
promise or limit Of promise that the OPERA
tons Of the law will be suspended for a
second pending investigation is given, and
this fact the Six Companies carefully
conceal
In addition to the circular the Six Com.
panles publish in War KEGS "Oriental Chi
nese Newspaper" issued yesterday short
proclamation calling upon all Chinese to
stand firm and refuse to register, assuring
them that it is only question OF time when
the Geary law will be declared unconstitu-
tional, and reminding them that money is
needed to fight the law and that contribu-
tions will be thankfully received. All
should subscribe to the fund to fight "the
unjust law"
"While we have been convinced all
along" said Collector Quinn last night,
THAT the Six Companies were doing all
that they could to prevent registration we
hare never Sltil now had absolute, positive
proof of the fSSt.
This circular Sssf have is not only miR