The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1899-09-15

ners." The leading partner is really a
well known merchant and is acquainted
with and does business with banks, at
toneys and other business houses. He
comes round occasionally with one of his
partners" and introduces him to the
banker or attorney, as "Mr. Lee Lum,
my partner" and Mr.. Lee Lum has no
difficulty in getting one of the aforesaid
valuable certificates signed by such
banker and attorney. Perhaps in the
course of the day he is introduced at an
other bank or attorneys office as ''my
partner MIR. Lum Lee" and Mr.. Lum Lee
gets another valuable certificate endors-
ed. We say valuable, because the evi-
dence of Chinese detectives in the en-
ploy of the U. S. government is, that
such certificates sell in China at from $50
to $50 Mexican silver dollars each. The
buyer exchanging the photo on the cer-
tificate for one of ffs own, and excl,ang-
ing his own name for that on the certifi-
cate. Tins provided he starts for the
United States, but he is stopped at the
boundary line. He produces his certifi-
cate, but the customs officers are onto
his little game. They put Mr.. Lum Lee
or Lee Lun in the sweat-box. He must
tell them all about his firm, what street
and number, what they deal in, how
much profit, how much is his share, who
do business next door, etc. Of course
MIR. Lum Lee answers as best he can, but
as matter of fact of course knows little
or nothing.
Then his description, certificate and
: answers are sent by the collector here to
the collector i'll Chicago. There they are
placed in the hands of government de.
E tective who makes specially of this
business and it takes but short time to
70 prove that Mr.. Lum Lee and Mr.. Lee
Lum are both liars of the clearest kind.
!; Sometimes the detective goes TO the
persons who signed the certificate, and
y showing them the photograph only, ask
: them "Do you know this man?' and o
l. course never having seen the photo O,
E the original before, have to confess thai
they know nothing of him. In some
/ cases it looks as though the witnesses
IS were professionals as it has been founc
: that one man signed as many as fift,
d certificates.
These applications ofreturning Chinese
merchants" give the customs authoritie!
a vast amount of trouble, as each individ
: ual application must be sifted to the end
in order to allownone to slip in by fraud
Some of the one hundred or more of
: party Of Cinnamon now Seeking admis
sion at Portal as merchants" can speal
as good English as the average American
! and doubtless have previously lived il
d the United States, but are not reall,
merchants.
Il The Chinaman found on this side O
the line who has no right here under thu
law, is deported at government expense
! back to China.
Sixteen of the Portal party came
;, across the line knowing they would be
arrested on this side. They may have
two objects. Possibly they think the,
may be able to prove before court tha,
they have right under the law to come
here, but it is doubtful if they will have
this privilege as decisions have been
made that there IS no appeal from the
secretary ofthe treasury's decision. On
the other hand they may think that it will
be cheap way for them to get back to
China at government expense.
Canada allows Chinese immigration.
but each immigrant must pay $50 before
he can reside in the country.
1t seems hard law for republic to
make to so entirely restrict immigration
OF any one people, but when one con-
siders the possibilities of the immigra-
ton from country like China with its
four hundred millions of people, mostly
poor, and the consequent results on the
laboring classes of this country, we have
a right to protect ourselves from such
hordes. The Chinaman, except in rare
cases, never becomes an American, His
ambition is to come to America, make
lew hundred dollars, go home to China
and with this small sum which is for
tune in China, live the life of gentle
man. We in this country have no use
for any immigrant, Chinese or otherwise.
who does not come here to live. per-
manently, and become an Am erican citi-
zen with all that term implies.
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