The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-02
CHINESE SHUT OUT.
The New Exclusion Act Proves
an Effectual Bar.
EVEN MERCHANTS REGISTER.
me System OF Certificates sAuss ous
eenfraosnds, bat some Coolies
Try TO Pose ~ Merehsnss


enecfual In keeping the Chinese iaborsrs
Out OF this country. and, since the whole
sale arrests Of smagxsers in Portland a
year ago. very few chinsmen have come
into the country illegally, and tsr eight
months past not . suspicious certificate
has been found by the customs officials or
the Chinese inspectors The NcCreary
amendment practically went into effect
July l last. aud Inspector SchuvIer. who
Is one Of the most energetic officials on the
Coast, says tina. in the main the Law Is
qaite satisfactory, but that il should have
specifically required tina, the merchant Is
well as the coolie laborers register, for the
merchants and the coolies look so much
alike that ii is impossible to tell them
apart, thus causing good deal OF annoy
ance alike TO the inspectors aud the Chi
ness themselves. Speaking concerning
the workings Of the new Law Mr.. Schuyler
said last evening:
1.-THE law should have gone into elect
May 8. but owing 10 the fact that We
couldn't make out certificates IL really
didn't go into effect until July /. Ii is
materially better than the old Geary act,
Tor every Chinese iaborer We find now
without certificate Is promptly deported
and thai Is the end of it. OF course We
A&fS W use olF discretion IN exceptional
cases, 30 as 10 work no hafdships on any
OF the laborers already in this conntry.
For instance. three Cinnamon came down
rom the Green river country O few days
ago and when 1 ran across them found
that one Of them did not have a certificate.
although he said he had one at his home.
he said he belonged to Qaong Tuck's
crowd and when | called there Gee Hee
assured me that he knew the man had
certificate, for TO had seen IL. Gee
Hee then gave me his verbal promise
that he would turn the man up II the GER
tifcate could not be produced. and sent
him back To Green river 20 get it. He
went home. and in q few days returned
with the necessary document His care
lessnsss neeessltated his paying his car
fere to and from his home, and his expert
ence will no doubt cause him 10 be more
careful in the future. and We will be re-
lieyed from unnecessary work and worry.
Another case IN point was from La
Conner q few days ago, when i've of Gee
them could not produce his certificate,
saying that ne had lett IL al his home.
Gee Hee again gave me bis verbal promise
that he would see that the document would
be placed in my hands. and the China
man was allowed 20 20 back aud send
down the certificate oy msii. The
certificate sufficiently identified the
nothing Was done in that case. We try 10
be as fair as possible. and when q China
man shows q proper spirit and tells q
straight story we do not like TO lock him up
and keep him in jail, but give him a chance
to prove his right 10 remain in the
country.
.'But there is one serious defect to the
whole law and that is the lack of the inn
peratiye demand that the merchant should
register as well as the coolies. Here We
advised all the merchants to register, and
they complied, and we have no trouble on
that score, but elsewhere they have not
been required to do the same, and IL is q
matter of continual trouble and worry.
Frequently Cinnamon from Portland and
other places arrive in town, and, when
asked to show theirs certificates they
proudly proclaim that they are merchants
and do not have To have any certificates;
then We have TO go TO the trouble 81 max
ing them prove their identity. The law
should have made no exceptions, but
should have required all classes to register
and then there would have been no trouble
and it would have been better for the
Cinnamon and also the officers.
'eThe other day car load of forty-hve
Cinnamon arrived in the city. all bound
for Victoria, from which place they will
take passage for China intending 10 be
gone several months. ont of the whole
bunch there Was but one who had a GER
tificate, although several OF them
we're coolies. The others said that
their certificates were in their
baggage which had been sent ahead TO
Victoria. The merchants declared that
they did not have to have any certificates,
and said that they would experience no
difficulty in re-entering. because they
would come in by way Of Astoria and
Portland. where they we're well known
and could comply with the Law in having
two reputable white witnesses identify
them as merchants who had previously
lived ia the country. As they were merely
passing through the country. sill We could
do was to- watch them and prevent them
from coming ashore here.
Another Law should be passed By all
means placing application blanks IN the
hands of the inspectors and requiring
them to 90 among the merchants and have
them all take out certificates
II don't believe there are any more
forged certificates in circulation, az least l
have not seen any new ones and am
familiar With ail the old ones. The only
irregular certificates / have seen lately
were those heid ny some Chinese marine
cooks who came here on vessels from Cal
ifornia The certificates held by them
were made out by the deputy collector in
stead of the collector. Being satisfied "a
10 their genuineness, and a. tne China
men were going rigni out sgain, did not
modest them"