The morning call., 1893-05-16

the world must condemn, or else establish
a precedent which viii render treaties use
less and OF no account.
This question is far more important to
the world at large than the people OF the
Prcific Coast imagine. l do not believe
the Chinese Government will quietly submit
to such injustice. They are slow to act, but
once they start upon a course they are
persistent and unyieiding. History should
teach the people of the United States
this thing. Three times have your people
come to us and said, let US agree upon
certain measures Your people have an
adage, believe, that in the third time lies
the charm. You also have an adage that
the last straw is the one that breaks the
camePs back Don't you think the Chinese
Government has been forbe airing enough?
Don't you think its patient and long-suf-
fering people have stood without complaint
all they should stand without retaliation?
l do. | think the limit has been reached
and | firmly believe that our home Govern
ment will adopt such measures as Will
compensate our people who are abused.
"a moment ago you asked me what l
thought of the decision. While l am an
officer Of my Government am still a man,
regardless of my position.
what do l think about the decision?
Why, | can't think. 1 am stunned, bewil-
dered and completely at sea-"
King Owyang, as has been before stated,
is a graduate of Harvard, and was trained
both in China and in this country for dip.
lomatic service.
well, after all, Mr.. King" said the re-
porter, "the real question now is what are
you going to do about ii? ?''
81 have been trying to tell you," an
swered Mr.. King. I'VE Chinese here in
the United States have done all we can
do. 1t remains for the Government at
home to do the rest.
1.-The Chinese are not towards, and If
driven too far may yet prove to the world
their ability to maintain the dignity of
their empire.
'Have you ever thought of this ?" con-
tinueG King. "Supposing this law should
be enforced. aud suppose that say 1900
Chinese should be loaded on a steamer
and sent back to China; and suppose when
the steamship landed at Hong-Kong the
English Government should say, tThese
Chinese you have on board have been ban
ished from the United States. hence they
are criminals, for in that country even the
highest crime known in times of peace is
treason, and men are not punished by
banishment. You cannot land your pris-
Oners here Then the ship would go on,
say, 10 Canton, and there be met with an
edlct of the Emperor of China declaring
that so long as the Chinese had been BAN
ished from the United States they could
~ hn mi Ic
and should not land in China. What
would your Government do then ?
They couldn't keep tie Chinese float
ing about the ocean. They couldn't
be landed in the United States or China,
and the Geary law expressly states that in
China they must be landed. What would
be the result? You conjecture and answer
the cOnnndrum. Suppose the ports OF
China should be closed to every vessel from
the United States? This question has two
sides and The despised side may yet be the
biggest.
LAS yet have no official notification OF
the decision in the Geary act from Wash
ington. and do not expect any for a day or
two. Everything Is now in the hands of
the home Government in China and we
will await their reply before doing or even
saying anything except as individuals"
An effort was made 10 interview Ii
Hung Chung, the Consul-General, but
without success. His reply to the request
was: II have nothing TO say. 1t is now
time for the Government at home to talk. 4"
Tone, secretary of the Six Companies,
was found in his Office. knee deep in tele-
grams from all parts of the State and
coast He had little to say and was most
reluctant to say that little. When asked
aboLt the decision he said: II am very
much surprised. l do not know what will
be done. We are more determined than
ever to force this matter to an issue that
shall be final and forever set at rest the
constant attacks upon the Chinese. So
far as the Six Companies are concerned
we feel and know our lawyers have done
all for us they could.
II admit we we've very, very sure Of the
law being declared unconstitutional. The
result is shock to lis.
''Yes that's il. 1t Is a shock-an unex-
pected shock. You understand me. It's
like man feeling safe being hit between
the eyes in the dark. He don't know what
to do"
win the SIX Companies issue a procla-
nation to the Chinese" ?"
81 think so, but we will await the dis
patches before doing so. only we will
counsel our people to rest easy, commit no
crimes and resist no arrests by officers.
We yet hope that the law will not stand,
and we believe that the Chinese people
will rely upon US now as in the past.
There will be 10 meeting of the Six Com
panies to-day, but will be one tonight
1t is TO US impossible that this law should
be enforced"
"How about funds, Tone? Have you
enough money to continue the fght?'
"As l told you a moment ago. we now
feel that our Emperor should take charge
of the affairs. There is no lack OF
money, aud in fact if the law is enforced
it will save the Six Companies vast sum
of money"
How is that?"
'Your Government proposes to send all
Chinese who are not registered and who
came under the law home at their own ex-
pense. Well, they are taking off our
hands no small burden. All the Chinese
who want TO go home. the lame, the halt,
blind, sick and the well, will get free pass
age, and many of these the Six Com
pauies would sooner or later have to send
home to China. We don't object to that
portion Of the Geary act" laughed Tone,
for it will relieve US of an immense
amount of trouble and save us an immense
amount Of money.
Honestly. just now we are at sea. You
see these kilograms" pointing to stack
of them. well. 1 am telling all those
people what l am telling you-'walt.' 1
do not think cur people are in any danger
yet. but even if they are what can we do
now? Your people will blame US and say
we should have told them all to register
Why, when your best lawyers, Carter,
Choate aud others, said the law was un-
constitutional and when, even now the
Chief Justice and two of the judges on the
supreme bench echo his opinions? The
Six Companies were guided by the very
best lawyers in America and Europe, and
If they are all wrong, surely. not much
blame can attach to the Six Companies"
But Tone wasn't happy. Ths usual
good-na.ured smile was absent. He was
thoughtful and reticent. The news, as he
a