Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-04-21
Traffic is Better Than Gold Mine to the
Few Men Who Control It.
HABIT GETTING A HOLD ON WHITES
Representative Grovesnor Pushing His
Anti-InjunctiOn Bill,
NEW STATE BUILDING is TO Be COSTLY
President shows His Independence
of Congregational influence in
Appointment of Eugene
r. ware.
From a stan Correspondent)

hlaI-
few days ago Senator Foster Of Washing
ton, acting for Senator Mason OF Illinois,
who was temporarily absent, presented a
petition from the Chinese Empire Reform
association urging the enactment Of law
TO absolutely prohibit the importation of
opium for smoking purposes into the United
States.
II would appear that the time has come
when congress should act. IL a 1.-THE OF the
reports concerning the opium trafic in this
country are true
A brief history Of the negotiations be-
tween China and America for the suppress
sion OF the trade is interesting. In the year
1880 a treaty was formulated between the
governments of the United States and China
and in accordance with a stipulation to that
convention marked Article o. II was agreed
that no citizen OF the United States nor any
subject Of the emperor Of China should en-
Joy the commercial privilege OF traficking
In opium between any Of the open ports OF
China, and 1t was further provided that no
citizen OF the United States should engage
In buying opium In any Of the above men
toned open ports.
This treaty was proclaimed by the presi-
dent OF the United States In 1881. Congress
In 1887 passed an act to provide for the ex-
ecution Of the provisions OF this treaty.
Thereupou the clause relating to this sub
ject became the supreme law of the land
Immediately upon the consummation Of this
act OF congress by the presidents signature
Fails of Its object.
No person OF we'll balanced mind will
doubt for a moment the good faith and pur-
pose intended by both nations In framing
this highly moral bit OF international law.
1t was evident that the intention was TO
N.tst
countries in an article which was rapidly
destroying the physical and moral standard
OF China. and had already gained a dan
gerous foothold in America. But on ac-
count OF the limited control the United
States may havs over foreigners residing
in this country the treaty and the statute
became but blank cartridges so far az the
opium trade was concerned, for they only
served to transfer the trafnc from the
Chinese and American traders into the
hands Of foreigners.
Under the present conditions the wonder
ful profits that are known to accrue from
the sale of this pernicious drug in the
United States are divided, strange as IL
may seem. between three prominent resi-
dents Of San Francisco. When It became
evident to the Chinese merchants that Il
would be unsafe for them to attempt the
importation OF opium they cast about for
some foreigner who might be induced for a
heavy consideration to act as their agent
he TO assume before our customs authorities
that he was the sole importer and that he
was In no way connected with Chinese or
American traders They found such an
agent In II. G. Playfair. an English banker,
residing in San Francisco.
or course this was a mere subterfuRa
calculated to dodge the law, but Il worked
most satisfactorily to all concerned. There
is one agency for the great opium firm OF
Macao. China, in San Francisco. That
substantially imports all the opium that Is
sold in this country. This. OF course. must
be done through the connlvance of their
English go-between. The foreign agent re-
ceiVes commission OF IS on each case Of
opium imported. This accounts for two of
this trinity. Now for the third OF course
there must be some one to act as customs
broker. This has been intrusted to one OF
the most prominent brokerage firms of that
city.
Retailers Make Little Proat.
Such Chinese as are engaged In the re-
tail opium trade of the coast declare that
they receive no profit worth mentioning
from the sale Of the drug Besides, all
well-thinking Chinese are more than anxi-
Gus that opium be placed upon the list OF
eontraoand articles. Il may seem astonIsh-
ishing' and serve as a kindergarten lesson
to the good citiEens OF the United States
when they are told that the toy kingdom
OF Hawaii many years ago forbade the i'm
portation OF opium to the islands realizing
that the use of the drug meant the certain
destruction Of the Hawaiian race, and II
seems almost incredible that with all our
boasted civilization. the lawmakers of
America have never shown that same re-
gard for the morality OF our citizens as
was evidenced by this ssmi-civilized mon
archy in the Paeine isles.
II must be palpabls to all right think
Ing Americans that there Is a crying need
OF national legislation TO check the spread
of this Asiatlc plagos. opium smoking.
among our own citizens; Il must be pal
pable, for the reason that nearly every
municipality Of importance in the United
States has passed most stringent laws to
exterminate the evil. and It would GER
tainly occur to an observer that these laws
would hardly be necessary did the evil
not exit.
In the city OF San Francisco, Il has been
stated that there are at the lowest esti-
mate at least 10000 white persons who are
confirmed opium smokers. This form OF
dissipation, II the curse may be digniaed
by such name. is about az well known In
Chicago, Denver and New York as Il is
there. and there is scarcely a village on
the Paeihe coast without its resort for
white opium smokers. Even some Of the
small towns in New England have found
Il necessary to drive these degenerates
across their municipal lines as a protection
against the spread OF the opium plague
= among the young men and women there.
Realizing the demoraliEing influence and
effect Of this decidedly un- American vice.
Senator Mason Of Illinois has introduced
Dill In the senate. and a similar bill has
been introduced In the house by Represen-
tative Blaksney OF Maryland. which will
put an end TO the importation Of opium
TO this country as soon as either OF the
bills become a law
rather respectable lobby has arrived