Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-10-25
THE SIX COMPANIES
A WEALTHY AND POWERFUL CHINESE
CORPORATION.
The Remarkable Social and CONNER
ciai dissemination Which Jealousiy
Guards the Righta of All the Celes-
iinls In This Country.

Chinese could give the politicians cards
and spades anu win out. The proof of
this is the Chinese Six Companies,
whose province. however, Is not 50
much political as social and CONNER
clul
The original purpose OF the Chinese
SIX Companies was tue mutual protec-
ton of the Chinese in their Journeys to
and from America and sending home
Tor burial In ancestral tombS the bones
OF those who died here. The purpose
has brOadened, however, until today
lie Six Companies act officially in all
affairs or moment for The Chinese. PEG.
pie in America. TO understand the
necessity for such II society one must
take look at the Chinaman at home
iii China The most important political
ana social institution is the clan or
Sanizaiion. Family trees In China are
deep rooted aud many branched and
almost any Chinaman's genealogical
record dates back twenty-five to fifty
generations. Indeed. twenty-five cen.
tnrles is what some claim.
The descendants of Il common ances-
tor form elan. They cluster together
IN village or district. calling one an
other cousins. but are not allowed to
iEtcrHarry on penalty OF death. Among
the people OF elan every man over
sixty years is All elder. regardless of
Ills station. Only those OF tile Younger
men who have passed government ex-
nmlnations are worthy of the distinc-
ton gained by virtue OF age.
The latter are known Us kong ming"
or titled scholars. and. together with
the elders, they constitute the officers
OF the clan. 1t Is the business of these
officers to decide all affairs of impor-
lance for the clan In matters of espe-
cial interest boys who lave attained
'heir majority eighteen years-are al
lowed voice. Al All annual meeting
the ancestral lands are rented out 10
the highest bidder. those near by 10
members OF the elan. those at dis
lance 10 outsiders. Quarterly the oil
GERS meet To collect The rents. These
rents from the ancestral property are
kept in lie elm treasury 10 pay taxes
and the general expenses OF the clan.
such as lawsuits, public buildings.
roads, celebrations of births and deaths.
pay his rent the officers demand II
from the head OF his immediate family.
All uuarrcls. disputes and unsettled
debts within the elan are settled ac-
cording 10 ihe counsel of the titled
scholars aud elders. In case of a quar-
rel with members of another clan IL
their own member Is in the wrong tile
oiicers apologize and punish the wrong.
uocr. Otherwise. they demand redress
from the other side. The officers have
authority to correct hayward youths
who disobey their parents, also to pun.
ish those who sell opium In the villages
or Gnmlle with boys.
Thus iii? nature OF the Chinese Six
Companies in this country is apparent
When. after The discovery OF gold In
California. lie Chinese flocked here by
thousands, w:,at WAS more natural than
that they should organize after the Gus
tom OF their country: Many of the
Chinese who came hnd never been more
Than fifty or a hundred miles from their
blrthplaces, ana 10 be landed alone In
rushing, roaring. booming San Francis
co was confusing even TO people with
out pigtails. .At first there was but one
nociety, and when Il ship came in the
society sent wagons to take the imml.
grants and their baggage to Chinatown.
where they were supplied with room.
water and wood for 81 month or two
until they found work. This took
money, which was supplied by volun.
tary subscriptions and voluntary taxes.
a In
Chinamai leaving the United States
was required TO contribute an amount
which has varied from So to $40.
AT first the president of the society
was chosen for an indefinite term, but
as the Chinese Increased and different
clans were represented jealousy ap-
pearei. No clan was willing that a
member of another clan should be
president for life. 1t was not long be.
fore there were six different societies
or companies representing the most
populous clans. They were called and
are still known as the Sam Yup. Yung
Wo, Kong Chow, Ming Yung, Hop We
and Van Wo.
From 4, small beginning the Six Com.
panies have become wealthy organi.
zation with large surplus on hand,
which Is constantly increased by in
vestment. Their disbursements are
cerrespondingly heavy. They spent
100000 testing the constitutionalty of
the Geary act and have from time to
time contributed literally to the aid of
sufferers from disaster both in China
and this country and TO other public
affairs here
The fact that virtually all the Chi
nese belong to the Six Companies does
not prevent their forming similar
smaller societies in every town where
their number justiiies IT, They may
have the same name as one of the Six
ltQ1li 1aincl i..,tl -,