The San Francisco call., 1897-08-12
THIS A JOKE
ON UNCLE SAM
All Adieu-Bidding Chinese
May Ride the Pacific
Free Of Charge.
Better Than Excursion Rates
Enjoyed Under the Guise
Of Deportation.
1t Is an Awkward Predicament, the
Outcome of Clever Juggling Of
Registration Certificates.

"Melican man think m smart. Think'm
foopm Heap big joke on Mclean man.
He, ha, ha."
Wah Foon, second-rate politician and
mana bout Oh inatown, held his sides and
guffawed uproariously.
Come right down to 1t this pig-taileo
Rainey of the Celestial quarters had
right to ha-ha. Worse, all of Chinatown
is with difficulty suppressing its mlrth
over a new dodge, by VIII ch Uncle Sam is
being played for good thing"
When a heather gets tired OF this
country and wants to return to his native
fowery kingdom nowadays he does not
have 10 bother his barbered head about
a grub stake, passage price or anything
else in the way of expense. He is sent
home by this Government-and that's
where the Joke on Uncle Sam comes in.
When Congress passed law requiring all
Chinese residents of America 10 register
and provide them selves with certificates
showing that they had bowed to the will
OF the Government it was hoped that by
this means the Federal authorities could
keep tab on its Chinese population and
effectually regulate Immigration of this
class
The officials we're clothed with authority
to seize and deport, after given date, all
Ceiestials found within the boundaries of
the United States who could not show
that they mad complied with the r,gula-
tion by exhibiting the necessary certifi-
Gates. This was good enough as far as 1t
went, but 1t appears that 1t went not far.
True, the Chinese when they once got
started registered in droves-50, coo, for
instance, at his port alone. Duplicate
Lcertlhcates of all OF these registrations are
piled up Within the local Custom h ouse
building, but, inasmuch as no index OF
the same was ever compiled. 1t is next
TO an impossibility .or the Govern m ent
officers 10 tell who has or who has not reg
istere6. Their only recourse is to keep
sharp eye out and grab every Chinaman
who cannot show certificate.
Now, it is this very state of affairs that
gives the "heathen Chinee" the oppor-
tun1ty to exhibit the superiority of his
| cunning and ingenuity. 1t has provided
him with the means Of enjoying free
| trip to China whenever he takes a notion.
Here is the modus operandi: All SIN
| wants to go home. He has enough OF
| America and American gold. He goes to
| a certain agency in Chinatown which
makes a business of pureh sing certif-
| Gates for the purpose of reselllng them to
Chinese who are smuggled into the coun-
| try and are naturally nervous of their
| chances of remaining. He increases his
| pile by barterlng away his passport.
! The agenCy's contract does not cease
| with the mere purchase of the paper. One
of it's minions is disnatched TO the Un1.ed
States MarshaPs office with the in1ornra-
| ZION that one All Sin, who can be found
at this place or that place, has no certif-
cate and consequently no right to sojourn
| in this country. The Marshal has the law
f0r IA hn RI
90 and seize the supposed con traband.
The man has no certificate of course.
When Uncle Sam undertakes 10 deport
he must pay the bill
No wonder Wah Foon ripples with glee.
The Federal officials say there is no
help for 1.-THE law prescribe what they
shall do, and perforce they must do it.