The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-06-09
CHINESE LAWRREAKERS.

migration and who, had Secretary Car
| Isle not withdrawn the provision that
the Chinese must register themselves
by photograph, would by this time have
practically stopped the immense amount
of smuggling which is continually going
on by the organized Chinese of America
Probably no man in California knows as
much about the Chinese as Mr.. Quinn,
and certainly no one heretofore has had
the nerve to enter into day and night
fight with them for the preservation of
| the American laws.
| had long chat with him the other
day about these people and the wonder
full power that they hold on the Pacific
slope. Said he:
1.-THE people east of the Rocky Noun
tains do not understand the Chinese
question as it exists here. This is the
battle ground of the races of the Occi-
dent and the Orient, and San Francisco
is the head of the government of the
Chinese of America. 1t is here that their
rulers live and it is here that they look
for law and punishment. They have no
respect for American laws and they do
as tn, il Chinese rulers dictate. They
are by no means a poor people. Right
here in San Francisco the Chinese own
property which is worth more than $751;
| 000, 900, and of the ready cash in circula-
| ton on the Pacific coast they control at
least S15,000,000. They furnish more
than one-third of all the labor we use,
and they have so woven themselves in
and out through our industries that we
are almost dependentupo them. When
the Geary act compelling the Chinese to
register themselves was passed it was
my duty to enforce the provisions of the
bill | saw that we had to keep the Chi
nese that were now here, for time at
least, and at the same time keep out the
the hundreds of thousands of coolies
who were trying to get in. AS soon as
the act was published cry went up
from the sand lots, or the hoOdlum ele-
ment, that the Chinese must go. AT the
same time there came word from the
vineyards and fruit-grOwing districts of
California that the wholesale deporta-
ton of them would ruin all such indus
tries. The result was the problem how
to keep out the coolies and keep IN the
present laborers."
"Tell me something about the Six
Companies, Mr.. Quinn?' l said.
1.-THE Six Companies" was the reply,
CONSTITUTES the most wonderful organ
ization have ever heard Of 1t rules
ca with an iron hand. 1t has defied for
years and is now openly defying the
| United States Government. During this
present trouble it raised $685. in con-
tributions of 81 each from the Chinese
in less than thirty days, and this money
was asked for and given with the under
standing that it was to be used to defeat
the operations of the Geary law.
"They have the power of life and death
over the Cinnamon here. We're l to tell
you that the Six Companies have SEN
fenced not one, but twenty men to death,
and that the sentence in every case has
been executed, | would tell you only
what such men as G. b. Harton, news
paperss reporter who has made work
among he Chinese speciality for ten
years, has time and again published
over his own signature"
"How do these Six Companies stand
in China?"
They are recognized by the Chinese
Government as the real power of that
empire in this country The Chinese
Consul General is an ex-officio member
of their Executive Committee, and coun-
sells with their president. These com
panies have for years taken charge of the
moneys of the Chinese of the Pacific
slope from Alaska to Guatemala and of
the United States, and they have con-
stantly Oh deposit an enormous amount
of money here. Their deposits in the
banks of San Francisco often. run up as
high as three millions in gold coin, and
within the last forty years they have
shipped out of this country to China the
enormous sum of $225, 100000 in gold.
This money was made up of the savings
&c Ia lnh md hn 70 IF
Chinese merchants, and if to-day the
Chinese were sent out of the United
States they would carry with them more
than $50, 100000 of money. My figures
for these sums are from the banking
houses of San Francisco, Los Angeles,
Portland and from the offices of the Six
Companies. They are an under estimate
rather than an over estimate"
"How do these companies work?" l
asked.
They do their work openly to great
extent" replied Mr.. Quinn. "They act
as a court for the Chinese, and the &C.
lestials come hundreds of miles here to
San Francisco to have the presidents of
these companies settle their troubles.
There is no appeal from them. The
Cinnamon who refuse to obey them will
certainly disappear and no one but the
Six Companies will know what has be-
come of them. AS to their business,
there is no doubt that they have been
engaged for years in smuggling opium,
the importing of Chinese women for i'm
moral purposes ard the importing of
Chinese laborers in defiance of the Ex-
clusiOn act. 1t is estimated that hand
some Chinese girl of II to il years of age
is worth, when landed in San Francisco
clear of the customs officers, 1900.
White men are hired to perjure them
selves in swearing that these girls were
born in America, to return to China for
an education, and then come home
again. Hundreds of women have been
brought in this way.
"HOw about the Chinese lottery?" l
asked
'This is one of the great sources of
revenue for the companies. They run
lotteries in every city and town in the
United States, Canada, Mexico, British
America and Alaska. The lottery is
honest as far as the drawing is con-
cerned. 1t is Chinese affair, and man
can win if he happens to mark the right
number of spots on his ticket $4,000 for
the payment of twenty-five cents. A
drawing is held twice a day, morning
and evening, and it is estimated that the
Six Companies make $4,000 a day out
of it. This lottery is corrupting San
Francisco. The whites as well as the
Chinese engage in it. The police have