The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-08-22
UNIQUE CHINESE COURT.
One of These Tribunals Is Conducted
in PHILADELPHIA,

/, in Philadelphia.
One of the most curious institu
s tions in "Chinatown", as the Chimes,
8 quarter of this city is called is thu
g court there maintained for the settle
9 ment of disputes and the adjudication
of claims between those who may
t appeal to it. says The Philadelphia
Times. As far as it can be understood
a by the Anglo-Saxon mind, this cour
would appear to be one of arbitration
, yet such conclusion would seem t
t be erroneous, for it judges all classes
of cases that would properly come be-
t fore an American civil court of the
highest powers. AS for the powers Of
r this Chinese court, it cannot be said
s to have any, legally, for it cannot, by
3 legal methods, compel the attendance
? of witnesses or the carrying out of its
? DEGREES. Yet such is the force oil
Chinese conservatism that it's findings
, are always acquiesced in by the parties
to the suit without question and with
out thought Of appeal
Equally interesting, perhaps more
: so. in an artistic sense, is the place
in which this court sits. 1t is a
place, by the way, from which the ex-
clusion of all but the Chinese them
selves is practically complete.
This Chinese court-o-. as it is
translated by those Chinese who speak
English, "the temple"-is up four
flights of stairs in an old house at 92S
Race street, and the room as used for
court purposes is undoubtedly one of
the most costly as it is one of the
most beautiful in Philadelphia 1t is
adorned with real works of art in
bronze and ivory and with the rarest
of teakwoods.
Here it is that court is held No
written laws compel the plaintiffs or
defendants to appear before the jury
for the settlement of cases, and the
jury itself is composed of Chinese who
attend the court because of their in
herent love Of Justice not because
they have been "drawn and paneled"
and compelled to waste precious time
listening to the wrangles of their fell
ow countrymen.
There are no lawyers in this court
Of justice. Each client represents and |
states his own case. briefly and |
tersely. The settlement of his claim is
left to the honor and good sense of the
jury.
Many have wondered why there are
80 few Chinese cases brought before
the Philadelphia bar, and the truth is
the lawyers very rarely if ever pro-
cure civil suit between Cinnamon,
all their business proceedings and
other disputes being settled in the
Chinese court. ..%
The Chinese are extremely jealous
of their temple, and as it is very pre-
cous to them they would as soon think
of Decorating the beautiful ornaments
that adorn the room as not to abide
by the decision declared by the court
which meets there.
William Lee York, Chinaman of .
high standing, and at the head of the |
mission at 102 Race street, gives a !
very interesting account of the meth
DDS of procedure in cases brought be-
fore this court
The Chinese as race" says Mr.. :
York, "are peaceful men, but wnen
80 many are gathered into one place,
as in Philadelphia, it is only natural
that disputes will arise among them.
One may happen to move next door to
a fellow Chinaman by doing little
better work or selling or working
tri6e cheaper, take away his trade,
rendering the first settler almost desti-
tute, or compelling him to remove to
a healthier neighborhood. Or another
man with light conscience may run
up large bill of goods upon an oblong
merchant and then neglect to pay.
Or, again, one Chinaman may make
concerning another that are
detrimental to his character and SO
on, indefinitely. Disputes that could
not possibly hold in any American
court of justice are settled amacably
among themselves in the temple in
Race street.
Every Chinaman.. in this city has a
vote in the court. That is, number
of men meet at given time and ap-
point representative who takes his
place on the jury and votes accord
ing to his opinion upon the case
brought up before him. If a case
comes up and it is necessary for an
immediate settlement to be made, no.
tice is served to the jury, which con-
sists of eight or ten men, who are
changed for others every few months
or so, and they in turn serve notice
for the defendant to appear at such
and such time to plead the case. If
the defendant is so situated that he
cannot appear, he sends representa-
tive in whom is vested entire authority
and who abids, in the defendants
name, by the decision of the court
'People may ask, But what if the
defendant would not come before the