The San Francisco call., 1899-04-29
GI AND SHWER EMPLOY WASHINGTON LOBBYISTS TO PROTECT
THE DISHONEST CHINESE PASSENGER TRAFFIC OF THE PACIFIC MAIL

DlSpatCheS received from washington
last night throw new and startling
light upon the secret causes of the dis
missal of B. F. Meredith as chief of
the Chinese Bureau of this city. Mere
dith was discharged from his posi-
tion Of trust for cause. The Call, in its
endeavor to remedy the glaring abuses
of the Chinese Bureau, exposed the
methods of Meredith, and to-day it will
expose the powerful corporations which
stood sponsor for Meredith in his ma
nipulations The Chinese Bureau of
this city is the only practical barrier
on the Pacific Coast to the uninter-
rupted influx Of Chinese coolies to the
United States.
The officers of the bureau are ex-
pected TO be honest, efficient and vigi-
liant. In their hands rests the vitaIly
important duty of enforcing the exclu-
sion act and of preventing the degrad-
ed labOrers of the Orient from enter
ing the port of San Francisco. Mere
dith, the chief Of the bureau, was dis
missed from the service of the Federal
Government because he was found
grossly negligent of his sworn duties.
The Call will show to-day that the
'-N'I--AAN-4 Al 1 elNAllt y fllJdlN |. /. HUNT
ington, the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company and r. p. Schwern were the
supporters and sponsors of Meredith.
his close friends while in office and his
persistent defenders while in disgrace.
The officers of the Southern Pacific
Company and of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company exercised every
influence within their power to restore
Meredith to his position after he had
been discharged.
They appealed to John 2. Jackson,
Collector of the Port, and secured his
unqualified Endorsement of Meredith. in
character and ability An effort was
made at Washington 10 induce the Sec
Tetary of the Treasury to reconsider
his decision Of dismissal Paid lobby
lists of the Southern Pacific Company
and of the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany We're ordered to use their seduc-
tive arts upon Federal officials at
Washington and if possible save Mere
dith from dismissal An appeal was
even made 10 President Mckinley him
self to save from final discharge this
officer whose duty it was to keep Chi
nese out and not to let them in
The cause of this campaign to save
q petty official from dismissal, the mo-
tiyes of kilograms, letters and vehement
personal instruction, might, by
stretch Of the imagination. be a mys-
terry. But r. p. Schwerin. the protege
and beneficiary of the bounty of c. P.
Huntington, gives the reason. The
Pacific Mail Steamship Company profits
by the illegitimate traffic in Chinese
coolies. 1t reaps an iH-gotten harvest
i'm freishts and fares from coolies that
by legislative enactment are barred
from an entrance into the United
States.
Every Chinese who is brought from
China to this port and is then denied
landing becomes a burden upon the
Pacific Mail Every Chinese who comes
and. rightly or wrongly is permitted
to enter is an element Of profit TO the
corrupt corporation that lives to make
money at whatever cost to the people
il preys upon. The Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company has been and is in
volved in an ulegitimate Chinese
traffic. Any measure which interferes
with that traffic is. to the officers of
the Pacific Mail an affront and a tres
pass upon their vicious rights And
when B. E. Meredith was removed from
his position as chief of the Chinese
Bureau r. p. Schwerin wrote to c. P.
Huntington in New York
You must have Meredith rein
stated. His removal means a body
blow at the Chinese passenger traffic
of the Pacific Mail Company"
And G. p. Huntington replied:
And c. P. Huntington did all he could
to save the Chinese passenger traffic
of the Pacific Mail. He had advocated
Chinese immigration before and after
the United States Government prohib-
tied this terrible influx Of coolies into
American territorE. lie had championed
the cause of degraded hordes of cheap
labOrers because that cause meant
profit to him. He had used his steam
ship line as a vehicle with which to
cheat Federal laws and injure Amer
ican workingmen. When his lieutenant
sounded the alarm c. P Huntington
needed no second warning. He at once
communicated with his agents at
Washington.
Letters between Huntington and
SchWerln passed In quick succession.
The wires were laid and Huntington
soon issued his orders to David A
Chambers, one Of the paid attorneys"
Of the Southern Pacific Company at
Washington. Mr.. Chambers was not
slow TO act, and in the following dis
patch he tells what he did and how he
tried to save B. e. Meredith from the
ak Of official decapitation:
WASHINGTON, April 2S.-David A
Chambers, who is the regular Washing
ton attorney for the Southern Pacific
Company in all land matters, was asked
to-day if he was interested in having
Meredith reinstated as inspector and
chief Of the Chinese Bureau. He re-
piled:
Several weeks ago I received a let
ter from our people saying that Mere
dith was good man; that he had been
highly recommended by Collector Jack
son and should be restored. l went to
see Assistant Secretary Howell. who
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