The record-union., 1897-08-17
SLAVERY IN CALIFORNIA.

A petition is in preparation in San
Francisco that will create some surprise
when il reaches the Federal authorities
in Washington. It is to be forwarded
by the Chinese Society of English Edu-
cation, composed wholly of Chinese,
and they ask the United States Govern
ment to abolish slavery in California
The petition will be sent to the Chinese
Minister with the request that he will
give its prayer his approval and present
the plea officially.
There are several novel things about
it all. It is novel that such a petition
should emanate from Chinese instead
of from Caucasians. 1t is novel that
faith should be primed to the expected
aid of the Chinese Minister whose Gov
ernment has it within it's power to pre-
vent the slavery complained of, but not
only fails to exert it. but is privy to the
prosecution of the slave trade. 1t is
strange that the Chinese petitioners
should assume that the Government of
the United States is ignorant of the
fact the slavery exists in California
These strange features may serve TO
secure for the petitioners sober hear
ing, provided that their petition ever
gets out of the capacious sleeve of the
first Secretary Of the Chinese Minister,
which may well be doubted. AS a mat
ter of fact slavery does exist in Cali
fornia; it thrives beneath the very eyes
of State, city and Federal officials. and
very little effort is made by either to
crush it out Indeed it is scarcely for
hidden by officials, while it is a shame
full and notorious fact that sworn and
qualified officers of the peace. whose
duty it Is to enforce the laws and re-
port their infraction, are under salary
TO the slave drivers to stand guard over
the human chattles and prevent either
their escape or rescue.
Only last week in San Francisco.
while some good women were succoring
a slave girl a deputy peace officer. hired
to such dirty work, rudely interfered,
assisted in wrestling the slave from
those to whose refuge she was fleeing.
restored her to her master and threat
eningly informed the Mission women
that he'd see to it they rescued no
slaves on his beat. In that case, let
the credit be given that the women
appealed TO the police. received from
them needed assistance and the slave
was permitted to seek and regain her
liberty.
The enslavement Of Chinese women
In California has augmented. grown
bolder and more defiant, and the sale
Of human flesh is not only no longer
concealed but is now boasted and the
processes of our courts are invoked
TO enforce the bargain and sale. Par
ents not only sell their children into
the vilest slavery known, but when
humane people intervene to prevent
consummation of these sales. their lives
are threatened and they are dragged
into the courts to defend against sum
At4a1S Wits lSSQEQ III TIE interest Ol
buyer and seller.
The petition referred to. coming as
1t does from a body of Chinese, may
serve to so quicken the public con-
science on this subject that an effect
i've onset viii be made upon the vice.
The Federal Government may, as is its
duty, interfere to crush OUT slavery in
any jurisdiction. without ofrense to
State authority. The only difficulty in
the way is to establish as a legal GER
tainty that which is a moral convie-
tion with all intelligent people in Cal
ifornia, namely. that the Chinese wom-
en-, with a few exceptions. are abso-
lutely enslaved. are in involuntary serv-
itude not in punishment for crime:
are bought. sold and delivered for coin.
and that force and arms are employed
TO these ends.
But this legal certainty is capable of
establishments, and that it is not made
the object of a systematic and resist
less effort on the part of a civilization
that has stricken the shackles from