Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-02-10
The Wicked Chinese.

The political influence OF the Chinese
in the United States, according to
Charles Frederick Holder, who writes
on the subject in the North American
Review, is subtle. potent and far
reaching. Mr.. Holder almost takes
our breath away when he asserts that
this influence is more effective with
out the ballot than that of the enth {
Afro American contingent, amounting
in 1890 to nearly u per cent of the total
population, or nearly 100000 souls.
He describes with some rhetorical
flourish a conference of the potentates
of the Six Companies at their political
headquarters. s25 Dupont street, San
Francisco. IA large, oblong apartment
with polished floor, its walls and pan
els covered with rich silk hangings,
large, handsome lanterns being sus-
pended from the ceiling" Here. the
presidents seated in Lakewood chairs
at mahogany table and the members
ranged along the walls, American af-
fairs of state" are discussed. THE
subject for discussion" we are told,
may be the election of n senator or
representative, and the remarkable
spectacle is seen of voteless body of
aliens deciding whether to support the
candidate or oppose him. IL he has in
CURED their displeasure by the advo-
cacy of measures antagonistic to the
nous vote for opposition will be cast.
on the books of the organization are
the names of every Chinaman in Amer
lea, and they are so systematized and
the owners so completely dominated
that q fund can be raised, IL necessary
"a sum that, in the terse and succinct
language of past figure In politics, is
placed where it will do the most
good" So it seems from MIR. Holders
own statement that the political power
of the Chinese in the United States IL
represented by campaign fund which
Is used to protect the material interests
of the Chinese in general and the Six
Companies in particular. This Is really
not surprising when one considers that
the Chinese have literally had to fight
for existence on the Pacific coast. and
also that the government denies immi-
grant Chinese the suffrage. 1t does not
appear that the Six Companies employ
their campaign fund, which is raised
by enforced contributions from the Chi
nese of the United States, to undermine
our institutions and to make coolies of
us politically. Sometimes, no doubt,
they succeed in defeating n worthy
candidate for Congress or one for the
bench by placing money in the hands
of corrupt politicians to buy votes
quite as often, We suppose, the politi-
clans pocket the CASH, but the Chinese
dre not tne OHly Contributors TO cOfrup-
ton funds. Moreover, 1t must be n
strong card for any candidate on the
Pacific coast that the Chinese are
scheming to beat him at the polls. The
fact could not he well hidden n the
candidates friends We're on the alert.
Every question that has threatened
to AFFECT Chinese American interests in
this country during the past twenty
years" Mr.. Holder says, has been
fought by power more subtle than the
ballot" Yes, but 1t is the same subtle
power that Is also employed with vary
ing success by the American lobbyist to
protect and advance the interests which
he represents in the halls of legislation
and by political workers before cleo
ton. The Chinese resorted, of course,
to every conceivable means to defeat
the exclusion act, and they were not
troubled with scruples. They had
good and bad men To deal with, con-
men and men as knavish as
themselves. broad men and narrow
men, fanatics and phllanthroplsts.
1.-THE agents of the Six Companies"
Mr.. Holder has discovered, were sent
to every city in the East, especially
In New England, to arouse n favorable
among the religious societies.
Chinese political workers pre-
sented the side OF the Chinaman to
societies all over the