The Indianapolis journal., 1893-05-21
ABOUT THE SIX COMPANIES
Origin and Purpose of the Organizations
That Control the Chinese in America.
They Originated in the Needs of Newly Ar
rived Cinnamon. and the Keen Managers
Have Gradually Extended Their Powers.

ing the Geary law. having only vague no.
tions about those much -talked-of organiza-
tions, asked q number of the perRmbulating
ency clopedias of the city TO inform him
about them-where they were organ
ICED. and for what purpose. He was
surprised to find that his learned friends
could tell him nothing definite about or
ganizatiOns which are charged with defy
ing the United States government. They
had read Huxley, understood Emerson and
delighted in Browning. and some of them
could xplain the latest phase of theosophy.
but the Six Companies they had not even
the vaguest impressions about. And yet
organizations which have q mem bership of
10000 people in this country who accept
their advice as more authoritative than
the laws of the Republic. would seem to be
of sufficient Importance to Americans to in
cite inquiry respecting them.
The six Companies. OF some of them. have
existed more than twenty years. They are
not organized under the charter OF any
State or nation, and yet no chartered sssO-
iatiOn In the country has such perfect or
gaDlZation and exercises so much authorl-
ty. When Chinese immigration, OF, rather.
migration. set in in earnest to the Pacific
coast there were in San Francisco few
Chinese who had been there long enough TO
learn English. When their almond
eyed countrymen began TO arrive
there In considerable numbers they sought
out the earlier comers for instruction and
assistance. Now, whatever may be the
moral or intellectual defects of the higher
grade Cbnaman, he never loses an oDpor-
tunIty to capture any dollar which 10 In
siaht. Ii, therefore, occurred 10 these pio-
neer Cinnamon who found their country
men coming here helpless to utilize their
helplessness.
They went about 1t in q manner which
the noble Caucasian may study with profit.
Instead OF each one grasping all the new
couers he could get and placing them I'M
der tribute TO him, they proceeded to organ
ize a company for each different territorial
district in China. This prevented com
petition and contention which would have
spoiled the scheme. The Chinese empire
was divided into SIX districts by
these astute leaders; hence the
name, Six Companies. When
shipload of Chinese arrived in San Fran
cisco, the agents OF the Six Companies met
on hoard and learned the residence of each
immigraD and he was turned over TO the
company looking after those coming from
that section. AS the result. the immi grants
OF O particular portion of China are enrolled
by q company to which the territory Is as
signed.
HOW 1T is DONE.
These companies are made mp of intelli-
gent Cinnamon. and they take charge of
of the fresh arrivals, who are inferior in
intelligence. AS they cannot understand
English. the companies find employment
for them. for which they charge them o
good figure. The advantages which the
companies afford in the way of taking care
of their money, securing employment.
looking ont for their rights. etc.. are
all-important 20 heather who comes to
Alst
dcrstand word that is spoken. Without
assistance the average Chinaman would
come here to starve. When he places HIM
self In partial control OF the compaDy's
agent. he is guaranteed care in sickness,
assistance If he gets into trouble. and the
ahlpment OF his remains to China II he
dies. The c0mpany's agents know whore
every man 10 who belongs to that particu-
lar company. For all this assistance the
average Chlnaman pays we'll. and never
fails to pay. Should he break loose from
the company. he is made TO feel the dis
pleasure OF the company In San Francisco.
even If be Is running laundry In the most
remote city on the Atlantic coast.
The few men who are the managers of
these companies are rich. and SO long as
clannish Chinese are in this country these
managers will reap rich harvests from
them. IL is very natural, too. that the sn-
perior men comprising the companies
should exercise absolute authority over
the mass of less adroit men. whom they
take into their leading strings as soon as
they touch American soil. and keep them
under guardianship while here. Ii Is denied
that the companies rule them by Chinese
code, intictiDg punishment and even
death regardless of American law; never
theless thero is abundant evidence show
ing that the word of the company 10 law to
those who have signed with It, The fact
th at the Chinese refused to comply with
the aim pie provisions of the Geary law npon
the advice orders of the mpanies Is
evidence of their influence. There is also
abundant evidence that there are Chinese
in this country known as high binders"
who intiict swift and dreadful punishment
upon those wi no commit otfeDses unknown
TO American officials. aud that the mass of
Cinnamon stand in deadly fear of these
these companies or some secret
agents OF the Chinese govern
ment enforce Chinese code In this coun-
try appears in the fact that the Chinese
consul at San Francisco recently gave no.
tice TO the warning factions among the Chi
nese IN that city that IL they did not cease
their content ti0ns he would arrest those re-
sponsible for them and send them 20 China
for trial and punishment.
IMPROVED CHARGES.
The Six Companies are naturally opposed
to all laws which are desig gned to restrict
Chinese migration to this country. for the
reason that il interferes with their vOca-
tion. If the provisions of the Geary act
were carried ont the supply of Chinese
could not be main ntained in this country as
under the late law. which provided for the
giving of a certificate TO each Chinaman
leaving the country, upon which another
Celestial could come here and make the
collection of dollars which Is q fortune to
the lower caste MongOiian.
There Is no evidence to support the
charge that the Six Companies have at
any time engaged In the shipment of CHI
nese TO this country and extOrting several
years wages for passage money, much less
the charge that they engaged In the
purchase OF women In China for immoral
purposes and selling them IN San Fran
cisco. This trafflc was carried on years ago
by another class of Chinese in connection
few years ago involves Caucasian as deep.
ly in the infamy as the Chinese.
The worst tnat can be said of the Six
Companies Is that they are composed of
Chinese OF capacity. who are hostile to our
laws relating 70 Chinese migration and
will violate them when opportunity offers
and that. while they do not dispose of them
contract laborors. they control their q C.
tion as no similar number of men are con-
trolled In this country. There is no dou bt
that the agents OF these companies will be
found in every town in this country where
there Is u dozen Chinese laborers and that
they keep the central authority fully in
formed regarding the movements of each
man and collect the dnes which the COM
pany imposes WI hen each one is taken under
it's wing The Six Companies are RESPONSE
bic for the refusal or their wards to re egister.