The record-union., 1897-01-26
WHAT ABOUT CHINESE ASSASSINA-
TIONSs

Sacramento. Two great rival compan-
les Of Chinese are at war, and the war
riors they employ are assassins who
shoot in the back and from ambush.
These aliens in our midst not only pay
no respect to the laws of place but open
ly defy them by setting prices upon the
heads of their enemies and issuing edicts
forbidden by all law.
Let us suppose body of Americans to
be residing in city of Continental Eu-
rope. Let us suppose a feud to break
out in that group and that its members
proceeded to fight in European high
ways by the methods of the assassin and
to terrorize the community in which
they may be located. How long would
any European country tolerate the out
rage? How long would any nation OF
Europe expend money to guard the
quarter and police it, in order to hold
the lawless in check and fail to do so?
How long would it be before the entire
body of these people would be put be-
yond municipal bounds?
When the Malta in New Orleans en-
tered upon it's work of assassination,
the people of the United States We're in
dignantly aroused from one end of the
Union to the other, and demand for
the crushing out of the feud went up
with such emphasis that after some in
ternational complications had been ad-
justed the Malta was cowed and sup
pressed, and for six years we have had
no more trouble in that quarter. But
greater license appears to be allowed to
the Chinese than to the Sicilian outlaws.
Our people seem to take it as a matter
of course that the former constitute
separate and distinct community in our
midst and are expected to slit each
others throats without much concern
on our part.
The people pay heavy taxes for po-
Icing the Chinese quarters and still the
assassinations go on and the fires OF
feuds are kindled after infrequent per
iods of exhaustion. When the clans are
not at war, private individuals send out
their hired hatchet men to wreak ven
gance upon their enemies or collect
debts at the point of the knife and the
muzzle Of the pistol. So far as is pos
sible probably, we search out offenders
and attempt to punish them-a very diff
ficult matter where Chinese are wit
nesses-but such punishment as we in
fiict appears to have but small deterrent
influence and our communities are kept
in turmoil by these Chinese bloody con-
tests.
Under the circumstances what is to be
done? If Americans fall upon Chinese
and do them injury in a territory of the
General Government, the Chinese Gov
ernment promptly calls upon US to re-
spond in damages, and the United States
has footed some large bills on that ac-
count. Would it be anything more
than fair play for Americans to hold the
Chinese Government in turn to account
for these disturbances in our midst by
its subjects, to whom We extend the pro-
lection of our laws which they so nom
chalantly defy and set at naught?
Assuredly the time has come, indeed
it has long since made its date IN our
history, when it is essential for the
peace and well-being Of our communi-
ties that these Chinese clan assassina-
tions should cease. We have been far
more patient and forbearing than any
other great power would have been in
dealing with aliens Of this order. Such
a state Of affairs as exists in San Fran
cisco would be impossible in England,
Germany or the Netherlands: France
would not submit to it for any consid-
erable period of time, and the Dominion
of Canada would have crushed the law
lessness in the bud.
In any of those countries If the ordi-
nary processes Of the law failed as they
have and do here, legislation would be
aliens unable to give perfect security for
good behavior, and in some cases ex-
pulsion might follow. But such policy
as the latter is antagonistic to our sys-
tenn and it would be in violation Of
treaty rights If ever we could bring our
selves to contemplate such extreme
measures. Whatever is done in the mat
ter must be lawfully done and in the
light of our obligations as a civilized and
humane people and nation impressed
with the solemnity of a treaty compact.
Since the Chinese Government is re-
puted to employ means to cow assas-
sins and trouble makers not known to
our methods-as for instance holding
families responsible to some extent for
acts Of its members, though 1t is true
that this is disputed as well as firmly
alleged-it might not be an impohtic
movement to solicit the Emperor of
China to call down his subjects whom
We tolerate in our midst, and exercise
the control over them that he is sup
posed to be capable of.
Dispatches were yesterday published
stating that the matter has been called
TO the al tention of the Chinese Minister
at Washington by the Chinese Vice
Consul at San Francisco, and that re-
sponse has already been received from
the Brother of the Sun that the fam
lies and relatives of one of the warning
factions. have been arrested in China
and Will be held as hostages for the fu-