The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-07
CHINESE IN POLITICS.
A Danger Which Threatens the
Voters of San Fran
cisco.
Mongolians Who Vote VIII Have
to Cut Off Their
Queues.

A strong political club is being formed
in this city by several Chinese who have
right to vote, and the bosses behind it ex-
pect to make it several hundred strong by
next election.
Chinese who were born in this city, have
established headquarters at 753 Clay street,
and if their scheme is not spoiled they
will soon pose as political bosses with
valuable balance of power. They have es-
tablished political club under the guise
of Native Sons parlor. On the glass
door at the entrance to the rooms of the
club is the sign "Chinese Native Sons
Association. Confucius Parlor." This
club numbers at present fifty members.
The new political bosses say there are 500
native-born Chinese here that are well
known to them, and they have ascertained
that the total number of Chinese entitled to
vote by virtue OF their birth here Will reach
1000.
The bosses are now striving to get the
500 known voters to join their club and
they are taking steps to learn where the
rest of the 1000 live in order to enroll them
on the club list Some of the reputable
politicians have begun to think OF the
possibilities of such a club which could, If
to some unscrupulous American boss, and
thus overturn the choice of the majority OF
the American voters. A solid vote of 1000
would have been sufficient to change the
fight for gubernatorial honors in the last
election and to have changed the result in
nearly every contest for the local municipal
offices.
About fifty Chinese voted at the last
election, so it cannot be said that the
Chinese are not intelligent enough TO vote
under the Australian law.
1t has been discovered that there is way
to prevent the scheme of the Chinese poll
ticians from being carried out. All the ma
tive born Chinese wear queue as well as
the immigrants from across the Pacific
The wearing of queue is mark OF allie
glance to the Chinese Government and not
a religious observance, as is generally be-
lieved. The local political purists contend
that no man who has taken an oath of ale
glance to another country has right TO
claim he is an American citizen, and is,
therefore, entitled to vote. Even though
the Chinese are born here, and are ordi-
narily entitled to vote, the purists claim
they will take steps to prevent horde OF
pigtails from welding such balance OF
power in politics as a club of 1000 would
have. The Chinese cannot have taken
from them the right to vote if they cut off
their queues, but they will have to choose
-,
between the queue and the right to vote.
As even the native-born Chinese feel that
China is really their country they will re-
fuse to cut off their queues. Whether they
can show their right to cast ballot is a
legal question.
That the queue is virtually an oath of al
legiance to the Chinese Government there
can be no doubt. Rev. f. ]. Masters of the
Chinese mission spent great part of his
life in China. In speaking on this subject
he said:
The queue indicates allegiance to the Chinese
Emperor and the Tartar dynasty that took pos
session of China 252 years ago. The Chinese
never wore queues before the Tartars con-
quered the country. They wore their hair as
the Japanese did-long and twisted around the
head and held up with comb When the
Tartars conquered the country they com
PEELED the Chinese to adopt their custom OF
wearing queue.
Mr.. Masters then read the following quo.