The San Francisco call., 1897-08-08

through the Custom house and within
week are immured in one OF the many vile
houses which are a curse to the City,
State and Nation. In the past the agents
and emissaries of these slave-dealers have
had no trouble to get information to the
poor girl on board ship, while those who
are interested IN saving the souls OF the
urfortunates and who are instrumental
in aiding in the maintenance OF the law
are refused access to the vessels.
All these facts are well known here, yet
an innocuous desuetude seems to prevail
in the very circles where one would natu-
rally look for a most vigorous protest
against such transactions. Officials have
been negligent, and apparently dlsln-
clined to take active interest in the mat
ter, notwithstanding their oaths OF othce
Moralists and reformers have passed this
crying evil by and devoted their energies
to other fields of labor; ministers OF the
gospel have called for contributions to aid
the missionary work in far-off lands, and
have ignored the great evil at their very
doors.
But the efforts of the bands Of workers
in the various missions in Chinatown have
borne fruit, and the petition that goes to
Washington carries with 1t the prayers OF
all those VINO have seen the inside work
ings of the iniqutous dens OF slavery. The
petition is as follows:
SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. Aug. z, 1897.
To the President Of the United States, Washing
ton D. c.: We, your petitioners, citizens OF
the City OF san Francisco and State of Califor'
mia, res pectfully beg leave 10 present for your
consideration the following statement of con-
ditions as they now exist in this City and
state and request that you EN- body such rec
ommendation as you deem fit in your forth
coming message 10 Congress, IN order that
that body may take suitable action in the prem
ises and make such investigation through
special committee as shall be deemed
necessary to arrive at com etc knowledge
of these conditions in order that some remedy
may be devised and our Nation relieved from
the stain which now rests upon it through an
open and notorious violation OF The consitu-
tion and laws of the United States.
The fourteenth amendment of the constitu-
ton of the United States expressly torbids the
holding of human beings IN bondage and de-
clares that the barter and sale of such human
beings is a felony, yet there is now condition
of slavery this City and State whereby
more than 1000 females are held in bondage,
bought and soId chattels and kept in con-
dition of involuntary serv1tude.
These slaves are scourged, beaten, tortured
and even killed by their owners in insolent
defiance OF the laws of the land.
The number OF these slaves is annually re-
cruited by lmportations OF others from China,
in violation OF the exclusion act passed by the
Congress OF the United States.
While there are no records Of the Illegal
anding OF Chinese females or the attempt 10
illegally land Chinese females other than
those who are held as slaves, the Federal and
municipal authorities seem powerless to pre-
vent such illegal landing and traffic. in human
beings.
The workers in the Christian missions in
this City are in constant receipt of appeals
from these unfortunate women, calling for aid
10 escape from their bondage. Yet the at
tempts TO rescue them ana place them in that
condition of freedom which is their natural
right are obstructed TO such an extent that it
is matter of the greatest difficulty to sc
\ them away from those who claim ownership
in them.
So bold have these trafickers in human be-
ings become that they have even sent threats
OF death to those who have laken interest
in having the illegal business broken up, and
they placard the walls of the City with notices
that they VIII fight those who in any way in
teriere with their trade in human females.
And vour petitioners will ever pray, etc,