The San Francisco call., 1897-10-24
As Naiiye-hnrn cifizens


Here are four ways held open LOT .hs
Chlnese 70 select 10 get into the VI leu
states via Honolulu. The port OF oan
francisco is reasonably guarded aSathst
tne admission of Chinese upon irauuu4eHV
offers OF prool n The ports of the coun-
try 10 the norln. on The Pacific coast Inc,
may also be watched carefully to qetec,
lrau SHAT IS. the ports OF the ohIIeu
states on the Pacific seaboard. but Iust
mere further quo alton from the relnarAS
OF Colonel Scharff i pertinent:
corruption in connection Win tne
Chinese frauds girdles the continent. Onl-
nese who have no right 10 come here are
admitted all along the Canadian border,
at tie port OF New York, at Seattle ano at
otner poin along the Pacific Coast.
1t ought 10 be easy, With at least tour
ways In which to do it. to commit iraud
where fraud may reasonably be expected
10 meet with n favorable reception. Inc
Dole eople, in setting up maniiestiy
insecure plea about the Chinese, natural
~ invite suspicion 10 attach Itself 10
them, and, as reasonable men, under
standing the facts as they must under
stand them, they will have no reason to
complain II suspicion remains until they
can make better showing than they nave
so far made.
The Hawaiian Island planters can use
Chlnese labor TO advantage. Natural
conditions have led Chinese TO 80 10 the
Hawaiian Islands. The same natural
conditions will continue. Chinese labor
Will be welcomed as long as il can be used
there. This is a consideration which
should not be lost sight OF, while the TACT
mat there be money IN smuggling IN
Chinese from Honolulu even more con-
spicuously looms up. Once in the Ha-
waiian Islands the hinese will already
be in the United States, under annexa-
hat rla riN nm dor
stood.
The ease with which Chinese person
could prove at Honolulu that he was born
at Saco, Me, for instance, or at any otuer
distant point IN our common country,
will easily suggest itself to thousands or
Chinese.
To the eyes OF the average person the
faces OF Chinese are as much alike as cot
tontail rabbits. ANY citizen called upon
to swear that he never saw any particular
Cuinaman before might be pardoned for
especially in view OF the fact
that half a dozen persons-and there has
never been a lack of such persons-are
wiling to positively identity the Chinese
person for whose landing money is forth
OF about the same height, OF the
same com plexion, with the same co.or OF
hair, and eyes much alike-the remainder
follows with the saying. So 1t happened
in the city OF San Francisco. after re-
s;riction act had been in supposed force
for two years, that thousands of Chinese,
relying on the inability OF white men to
detect sham OF the Chinese sort, swarmed
into the port, masquerading as merchants
gaudily atIired in borrowed silks, and
having it in mind 10 smuggle in the silks
as well as their own persons, and, as evil
dence OF their status tht y presented GER
tain pieces OF paper purpOrtlng TO be GER
tificates of the Chinese Government.
These so-cdlled certificates were proved
10 be fraudulent, and were repudiated by
the Chinese Government. The Collector
Of the Port OF San Francisco stopped the
Canton certificate" frauds as soon as
pos sbie. He refused to accept the Ger.
ihcates as prima facie evidence, and so
forced the Chinese to either remain on
the ships that brought them and re-
turn to China, or to sue out writs of ha beaS !
corpus and try then luck in the Federal !
courts. This procedure taught the peo- /
pie of the Pacific Coast, and particularly |
Of California, some tricks that they hat |
never dreamed of.
A transcript of the proceedings of the |
United States courts III the city OF San /
Francisco, for one day only, would be |
valuable contribution to this attempt to |
show Just what NAV be expected, nay, |
what Will occur at Honolulu, in the event |
Of the annexation of the Hawaiian IS |
ands. Day and night the Judges oi the |
many Federal courts, for period covering |
listened to wholesale perjury.
The Canton certificate episode, which vas |
the first organized attempt to break |
through the thin barrier of the first nera- |
i've restriction act led to two general |
The first was the enactment |
IF second law, also aiming to keep the |
Chimes out OF the country who were not |
entitled TO enter; the second was the es- |
adjustment of Il oasis upon which, in a |
period OF a few years, 20 900 Chinese, Dy |
he pract ce of unparalleled frauds, man |
ged to make their way into the port of |
san Francisco, by the use of the writ OF |
labeas corpus.
That stream would still be flowing un- |
lba ed, had not there been an honest |
United States missioner on the bench.
% whom all the cases we're referred after |
he pressure upon the courts became so |
treat that they could no longer hear
hem, and who so thoroughly investigated |
he cases before him that he habeas !
corpus was no longer q favorite instru-
nent IN the hands of the Chinese with |
which to get surreptitlously into The |
a Dor market of the United States by way
If San Francisco.
But before this phase of the Chinese |
question had been reached the Chinese
had learned The lesson which they nave
walled themselves of ever since. Even
before, becaus of two laws being ineffect-
l Al TO stop frauds, il was cessary 10 pass
third, the last named beirg the exclu-
'ion act, the tide of Chinese began 10 drift
more strongly 10 the north of San Fran
;isco. First Chinese went there ostensibly
'in transit" but really tc break into the
country over the northern border. at
irst they were few. Tnen they were many.
\ ow Colonel Schaitt finds the frauds OF
uch startling proportions in the north
hat he resigns to escape being connecteI
With farce, as he says.
In the period when habeas corpus was
talIy invoked, and many times daily, the
20 ssibllties for crooked customs officials
20 make large amounts of money by ad-
hitting Chinese on marked certificates,
he certificates having been marked by
;onfederates in China; by being parties
10 the sending abroad of large blocks OF
which would entitle the Chi
lese possessors to enter the United States
upon presentation of the same; by land
ng Chinese by stealth, by blackmaiI and
oy many crooked devices, were Iully de-
Teloped.
y golden rain fell upon certain white
men, some o. whom have since acknowi-
edged that they often made hundreds OF
dollars in day. Twice was the FeIeraI
Grand Jury Iii possession OF q great array
Ot facts pointing uDmlSIaElbly at great