The herald., 1893-10-18


of death. 1t is we'll known that the
comparatively few who did obey the
law and submit, to registration were ex-
tremely secretive about the business.
acting as il under some great apprehen-
sion OF danger. Secresy az to the mat
ter was enjoined upon the registration
officers, and it turns out that the regis
tered are reluctant about letting the
fact be known even to this day. Had
not the highbinders been included in
the judgment of the court with the
laborers for deportation, it is more than
likely that some OF the trembling labor
ers would have braved deportation
rather than incur the displeasure OF the
Six Companies and the vengeance OF
their sleuth- hounds, the highbinders,
by disclaiming the fact of their compli-
ance with the law of registration.
Well may it be asked OF Mr.. Everett
and other friends OF the Chinese in con-
gress: For what purpose were the six
Chinese companies organized? and why
do those organizations continue? and
how do they exist, incurring, as they
must, very heavy liabilities for lawyers
fees and otherwise. if not for the pur-
pose above indicated?
That they exercise the power OF life
and death over their subjects is well
known. 1t has often leaked out in ju-
dicial investigations on the Pacific coast,
that the death by violence Of Chinese
kA nf q
highbinder, who had no motive of his
own for the bloody deed. The crimes of
the highbinders as rule appear to be
committed in execution OF orders. and
the fear of them by the poor coolie is
next to that of death itself.
The six companies are all powerful
with the laboring classes in business
transactions.
The service of the laborer is COM
pletely subject to their control. If a
hundred, or five hundred men are want
ed for work on some large job, as the
building of dyke, the digging of a
canal, or grading for railroad, applica-
ton is never made to the laborers them
selves, but to some man representing
the Six Companies, or one OF them,
who within the prescribed time pro-
duces the whole number of workers re-
quired, at a rate OF compensation fixed
upon in advance. The entire gang is
herded at given time and place with
absolute certainty. and when the work
is finished the same head man receives
the wages Of all in lump sum, and
that ia an end of the transaction. Each
laborer SO farmed out performs his SER
vice with entire punctiliousness, unless,
peradventure, prevented by sickness or
accident. Not one OF them ever has the
temerity to brave the highbinders'
vengeance by neglecting to fulfill the
contract thus provided for him.
In case of the death of a Chinaman in
this country his bones when stripped OF
the flesh are boxed up and shipped back
to his home in the fowery kingdom.
This is, of course, in pursuance of the
contract under which he was induced to
come to this far-off land. This grue
some duty is performed by the company
to which the deceased belonged, and
never by his friends or companions.
The Chinese as race are remarkable
for their stolidity, and. SO far as appear
ances go, are utterly lacking in human
sympathy. These duties to the dead,
I therefore, are devolved from the terms
OF cold contract. They are not gratu-
itous, and the only imaginable compen-
sation that can be rendered for them is
labor, and labor under contract which
must antedate the Chinaman's depart
ure from his native country.
The Six Companies are only bound to
each other by common interest. When
some great question, like that of regis
tration arises, they confer together. If
law of the United States is to be an
nulled they hold their congress and the
action of the American congress ia
formally and authoritatively set aside.
1t is fairly astonishing that person
of the supposed intelligence requisite to
occupy a seat in the congress at Wash
ington should excuse violation of the
Geary law on the alleged ground that
the law is in conflict with our treaty oD-
legations. The Burlingame treaty is the
one referred to; but that treaty, in ex-
press terms, reprobates any other than
an entirely voluntary emigration from
the one country to the other, and the
Chinese government agreed to make it
a penal offence for Chinese subject to
take a Chinese subject to the United
States.
If there has been violation of the
treaty it was not by this government,
but by the government of China, and
it is evident enough that such violation
has been both hagrant and continuous.
Members of congress, if American, are
poorly informed when they claim that
the emperor of China will take except
ion to our deportation of his subjects.
The ground of complaint is on our side,
and the persons injured are the white
people OF the Pacific coast, who have
suffered to an untold extent by the pres.
ence of that people among them in vio-
lation of law and of treaty obligations.
PERSONAL.
Mavor Rowan visited Ventura yee-