The Tacoma Method [pp. 234-239]

l'he Tacoma Jlethod.
nicipal limits much real estate is owned by
Chinese, which vested rights were taken advantage of by pro-Chinese, and financially
influenced men to stimulate dissension where
unanimity is one of the most necessary conditions. The consequence has been loss of
life in the streets of the "Queen City," without permanently staying the exodus thence,
and the planting of a rancor that will be felt
for many a day.
In the latter part of November twenty
Chinamen were found on the water-front of
Tacoma, and, upon questioning them, it was
ascertained that they were there in probable
violation of the Restriction Act, and they were
held until the United States Marshal arrived
to take them into custody. Had there been
three hundred, or even three score, of their
fellows resident in Tacoma, these new-comers would have been immediately absorbed,
beyond possibility of recovery, and the unauthorized population of the territory been
augmented by just so many. As it was,
their detection and detention were certainties. After a short seclusion on McNeil's
Island, the location of the territorial penitentiary, the prisoners were taken before the
United States Judge at Seattle, and by him
committed to the Marshal, to be escorted to
the boundary line of British Columbia, and
forced into that country. The trip and its
achievement are described by the august
functionary:
"Oh, yes, we saw them safe into the land
of the Britishers. The steamer on which
we had the Chinamnen extended her trip to
Semiahmoo to accommodate us. Semiahmoo
is only a few miles from the imaginary line
dividing the United States from Canada. At
that point we got enough provisions to last
the Chinamen a day or two, and placing
them in a large row boat, pulled across the
bay. The beach was so flat that we could
not get within two hundred yards of the
shore. All hands took off their shoes (charming Hibernicism), and waded to the sand.
We then took up our line of march for about
two miles. On reaching the boundary line,
we showed the Chinamen the road to New
Westminster, gave them provisions, told them
to go, and never come back. We arrived at
Semiahmoo at 5:30 in the morning, so you
see the Chinese got a good early start for
their journey. The United States Customs
officer at Semiahmoo explained to the Chinamen that they must not come back to
this side, or the next time they would lose
their queues. The Chinese seemed glad to
get out of custody, and the last we saw of
them they were going down the road toward
New Westminster, on a dog-trot, chattering
like a lot of parrots."
Here the Federal authorities followed the
line marked out by the Committee of Fifteen and the citizens of Tacoma, except, first,
those who made exodus from Tacoma were
not restrained of their liberty for one moment; second, they were not subject to great
personal inconvenience; third, they were not
sent into a foreign country; fourth, no threats
of violence were made, or dire reprisal, in
case of return. Those who went from Tacoma were kindly treated; warmed while
waiting for the train by roaring wood fires;
plentifully fed, and snugly sheltered. Those
deported to Canada were here in defiance
of the Restriction Act; so were many if not
most of those who were requested to remove
from Tacoma; and the difference is small in
the defiance of a principle, whether it is the
general motion of a community, or whether
it emanates from the ermine. The Restriction Act does not comport altogether with
the provisions of the Burlingame Treaty, for
it is a law discriminating against the subjects
of the Emperor of China, and is not applied
to "the citizens of the most favored nations." These twenty Celestials came down
from Canada, not across the sea, and had
they been of any other blood or breed of
mankind, would not have been molested;
although twenty assisted emigrants, known
convicts, or miserably poor of any European
country would undoubtedly be refused landing at an Atlantic seaport The Canadians
have a law imposing fifty dollars each, "headtax," on all Chinese entering the Dominion,
under any circumstances of trade or travel,
regardless of their having been there before.
Return certificates do not afford the disci
1886.]
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