The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-05-15
TOO OFE|COUS
Chinese Protest Against
Policemen.
Mass Meeting In HiIo Hears Warm
Talk About Treatment of
CeestiaIs.


force for indulging in in5iscriminate
raidlng, more especially in quarters
where it is least needed and upon peo-
pie who are least able to resist it, is
too well known to require comment,
says the Hilo Tribune This state of
affairs was signally illustrated on Sat-
urday and Sunday evening of last
week and the facts connected there
with are pretty well known
On Sunday evening mass meeting
of Hilo Chinese was held to take &C
ton relative to the matter, at which
addresses were made by leading Chin
csc. All Holt, one of the speakers,
said:
Every one knows that the Chinese
are a conservative race and that they
would rather endure severe persecu-
ton than stand up for their rights. l
think that is one thing that encourag-
ed those fellows to treat us so barbar-
ously, and let me tell you right here
that unless we take some steps to get
redress from the authorities we will
be treated still worse in the future.
1T would take me hours to cite to
you all the different instances where
our countrymen have been robbed and
abused, but as these affairs are past
and gone, l will only mention the two
that occurred last night and tonight.
ION Saturday night one of my clerks
was riding a wheel about fifteen feet
from the store. Peter ElemakuIe came
up and jerked him off the wheel. He
took the wheel to the station house,
and then came down again to arrest
the boy for riding on the wheel. AS
soon as he got sight of him he grab
bed him by the neck and tried to
throw him down. Tong On stepped out
and asked him why he handled the bow
IN such manner, and ElemakuIe
knocked him down. After they were
separated Norman Lyman ran out of
the Handy Kitchen and struck Tong
On three severe blows. He did not
KNOW what was going on, nor did he
try to find out before he struck the
blows.
Can you tell me why he struck Tong
On! | would say simply because he is
chinese. Most of you have seen how
Peter Elemakule, William Kealani and
n. Lyman treated the laundrymen to-
night, so it is not necessary to repeat
it. But | would like to know what
right have they to enter ones store to
search without warrant? or of as
saulting the men because they refuse
10 show them their tax receipts on
sunday? or OF breaking into a room
and taking many things away while the
owner is not there? Can you tell me
why they did it to us? | would say
simply because we are Chinese.
Now these things have gone too far
and must be stopped in some wav. AS
Sheriff Andrews is the chief executive
officer of this island, and an honest
man, as | have reason to know per-
sonally, l think he is the proper man
to go to and demand protection. Il
thlnk 1t is best to appoint committee
OF fourteen to wait upon the Sheriff
and lay the different instances before
MIN. l feel pretty sure that some I'M
derstanding can be reached in that
way; but in case we could not obtain
any satisfactory redress we must send
our petition to the proper authorities
IN honolulu until some sort of protec-
tiou Van NC oSCuISu. Let me conclude
by requesting you to stand firmly to-
gether, but do not do anything that
goes beyond the limits of law. We are
merchants of these islands, we paw
taxes and licenses just the same as
others do, and therefore think We are
entitled to the full protection of the
law. Did you ever hear of a police
officer who entered a white mans
residence and searched his place with
out warrant? No, they only treat
Chinese in that way"
The deputation appointed at the
meeting waited upon the Sheriff. and
was received in a manner most salts
factory to themselves The Sheriff
censured the action of his subordinates
and asserted that he would make it a
point in the future to see that such
utterly unwarranted procedure on the
part OF those clothed with little au-
thority should not occur. Two of the
principal officers were dismissed from
the force and the third is believed to
be on the ragged edge"
The Chinese have also retained Carl
>. Smith to prosecute to the full extent
OF the law the cases of those assaulted