The Washington times., 1902-04-28
INFLUX OF CHINESE
MENACE TO AMERICA
Continued from third Page,

i
peal to Congress and the National Ievis.
lature went to their aid with restrictive
| legislation. Prior to the enactment o.
this legislation. and in direct defiance [,
the will of the Coast people, the Six Com.
panies were formed. Since their ipcep.
tion they have combated more or less
successfully all efforts at restriction. and
today are in existence and in operation In
| every city where there is Chinaman in
| the United states. Their method of op-
| Grafton is unique and could only have
been the child of brain OF an Oriental
| The coolie wishing to come to America
| places mortgage on his family, his wife
and his children, secures his passage, and
binds himself to pay to one OF the Six
| companies the full amount from his saw
ings TO raise the mortgage. Until this is
paid he is virtually a slave. and even
when free from debt he has to begin anew.
| for they have an arrangement with the
trans-Pacific steamship companies not to
! deport any Chinaman who desires to go
home unless with their consent. For this
| little attention they are likewise amply
feed To say that this is done at present
| is to state obvious facts as will be shown
later.
American Legislation.
The various treaties with China relative
! to the question and the latter day legis-
| latioT thereon play an important part in
the consideration OF the subject.
In 1Si3 Caleb Gushing was sent to China
! to establish the future commercial re-
lations between the United States and the
Chinese empire on terms of equal reci-
procity." The treaty secured through his
efforts was ratified by Congress in 1Si5
This was our first step. and the treaty
making power of the United States twice
since has been used to foster commerce
and bind us in closer and more friendly
relations with the government OF China.
In 1858 treaty growing out of interna-
tional complications was evolved and rati-
fed This likewise dealt solely with COM
merce. and 1t was not until 1861, when An
son Burlingame was sent as ambassador
to China that the subject of immigration
was discussed.
At this period Of the history OF Cali
fornia even the most conservative. unfa-
mlisr as they were with Chinese life
and its disadvantages. when transplanted.
favored wholesale immigration in order to
build up the country. The direct result
OF this spirit was the famous Burlingame
treaty OF 1867, which had for its purpose
the establishment OF friendly relations
between the two countries, and detailed
1t
commerce. The clause bearing on the
subject Of immigration is broad and COM
prehensiye, and in substance gave abso-
Iutc and unlimited freedom to Chinese OF
all classes to enter our ports. A clause
therein. however. stated that the compul-
sorry bringing of CITIZENS Of the United
States to China and the compulsory bring
ing of subjects of the Emperor to this
country. would be in violation OF the
II. I..NN Nt,.I fgtN Nvnfy tr hnd
members of the Congress OF the United
States are today determining the strin-
gency of the present law pending.
That United States statutes were enact
ed to dehar this practice Of involuntary
residence in China Of American citizens
is shown by reference to our statute
books hut that such legislation or i'm
per,al edicts were ever issued In China is
disproved by the subsequent wholesale
immigration of coolies for the Union Pa
ciHc Road. under contract with the Six
Companies. These coolies were. In point
of fact. Chinese slaves. pure and simple.
1t is upon this issue that the friends of
absolutely inhibitory legislation base
their claims OF right to enact laws in
seeming violation of a treaty which, they
declare, no longer exists.
The Burlingame Treaty.
The immediate effect Of the Burlingame
treaty vas to stimulate immigration, and
it grew to such proportions that the de-
mand for legislation took the form OF the
Geary law Of May g. 1852. subsequent
law of 1892 re-enacted the Geary law with
a few notifications, and the law of Sep
tember 10, 1888, repealed the Geary law
and made more stringent the exclusion.
On October 1 OF the same year, and be-
fore the law OF September l3 went Into
effect another act was passed which pro-
yided for penalties for Illegal re-entry OF
lahorers 20 this country after certain
length of time had elai.sed between their
departure and their return. BY an act OF
Congress approved May 5. 1898. all exist !
ing laws bearing upon the subject were |
kept in force and extended ten years. In |
May, 1898. this law was amended. and |
strict requirements for returning labor
ers were enacted, and provisions and
nenslties we're provided for the admins |
trntion of the law. Since 1893 no law has /
been passed, and as the law dates from
1892 and runs ten years, we are today face |
to face with the problem again
The nature of the bill now before Con-
grsss has been placed before the public,
and It's stringency is no doubt most salts
fying to the inhabitants OF those states
mostly directly and most materially af-
fected. In relation to this proposed legis-
lation word of explanatiin will more
clearly define the purpose OF Its proyis-
ion II is the direct result Of years OF
Of the old law. ard the bill
has for its basic principles the essential
element of prior legislation. those SEEM
ingly harsh measures upon which the cp-
position wages its war on this bill are
but the tools with which most patient
,fe el-tf I.l 1afNtI
officers are to face an unending task. for
The Six Companies are in San Francisco
foday bringing in Cinnamon, and ut the
PRINCIPAL ports on our Mexican border.
The old-time contract demand OF the
Union Pacific Railroad for labor Is now
but a memory Of the past. and the ship
loads of coolies brought here at the in
;tisation of capital that was ever ready
TO increase its power no longer play a
part in the history Of the far West.
In Palatial Ships.
In their place come palatial steamships
elow the decks of which from twenty to
hundred Chinese laborers are huddled
ogether like. cattie-upan an Atlantic live
took transport. it, ia while thus en- voy-
ge that they memorize the formula Of
es by which they elude the watchful OFF,
ial and are admitted as travellers for
leasure, native born citizens. merchants
nd students Of the''Mghcr branches OF
,arning' I $50
These modern steamships land each
eek at San Francisco and turn over to
ne customs officers a list of Chinese
board as required by the existing law.
his list includes men legally returning
} the country. and .men OF wealth and
osition. but the almost total percentage !
the Orientals listed are coolies brought l
YER in defiance of law. and who in many 1