Arizona republican., 1895-03-08
TROUBLESORE CHINESE.
A Source of Great Annoy ance to
 the Government Officials.
Smuggling Operations of the Sly Celes- tiaIs in the Rio Grande Country Effects of the Exclusion
 Law,


 the United States as it did along the Rio Grande in Texas. In the revenue dis trict of the Rio GranGe there were, pre- vious to last June, about one thousand Chinamen. Fl Pasa, the main port of entry from Mexico, claimed seven hun dred and fifty of these, and San An tonic, an inland city, one hundred and ten. The rest are scattered about, three or four in each little town in the district. It was found by the revenue officers that not over four hundred of these were entitled to remain in the United States, and the other six hun dred were deported, either to China CT to Mexico, if they came to this country from that republic, says Harper's Weekly.
 Fl Paso was allotted ten thousand three hundred and thirty-eight inhabi- tants by the census of 1890, and the business interests of the city are nearly entirely dependent upon the transfer of goods from or into Mexican territory. Two wagon bridges and one railroad bridge connect American with Mexican soil and at times the Rio Grande is so low that it can be crossed almost dry-shod. Railroads reach to the north, east, west and south, affording quick and easy transit in any direction, so that it is an ideal smuggling point. Notwithstand- ing the sleepless vigilance of the rev. enue officers, the smuggling trade as sumes formidable proportions, and it is largely due to this fact that the Chi nese element forms so large propor- tion of the population.
 The Chinaman is an expert smuggler, and devotes his energies to transferring opium, tobacco, silks, Mexican em- broidery and drawn-work, on all of which articles there is a heavy tariff, from Mexican to United States soil without paying duty thereon. The most profitable article for smuggling has been in the past the Chinaman him. self, and it was to prevent the whole sale importation of this class of goods that congress made the Chinese eXclu- under the act of 1882. In 1886 congress passed law prohibiting the coming of Chinese laborers into the United States for a period of ten years, and provided a penalty for bringing them in. In this act a provision was made for cer- tificates of Identification for those al ready here, which entitled them to come and go. This act was easily evaded at Fl Paso, and doubtless else where, for John would show up one day in queue, long shirt and wooden shoes and receive his certificate as Hong" and the next day the same mild-lool1ing oriental would put in an appearance dressed ''allee samee Mel ican man" and receive his certificate as Hing" One of these certificates was naturally for sale, and the price they brought ran at times as high as two hundred dollars.
 Across the river from Fl Paso is the Mexican city of Fl Juarez. There are many Cbinamen there as well, who act as confederates of their countrymen across the river. Chief among them is Doe" Sing, who is rated commercially at about one hundred thousand dollars. Doe is king among them, and with fertile and cunning brain he has engi- neered many a scheme whereby the revenues were none the richer, or whereby the population of the United States was increased by one Mongolian not really entitled to the protection of the stars and stripes. Wong Ming is his chief lieutenant, and is a resident of Fl Paso, where he ranks high as business man. Wong Ming has lived in the United States about seventeen years, and is one of the few Chinamen who have families to share the freedom of this country with them, and he lives retired and domestic life. These two Chinamen are the authori- ties in the Rio Grande country among their own people, and everything that comes up for settlement among them selves or in the relations of the Chinese to the Americans is referred to them.
 In October, 1888, an act of congress went into effect abolishing the certif- cate of Identification. This cut off a great source of revenue, and the i'm portation of Chinamen became simply a question of out-and-out smuggling. In 1892 the exclusion law was extended to 1902. This new law also provided that to remain in the United States a China man must obtain certificate showing that he was here in 1882. On these certificates are photographs of their i holders and the certificates cannot be obtained without the testimony of a reputable white man to the effect that the statements made by the Chinaman