sketches new and old-第24章

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No。　21；　36th　Congress；　2d　Session；　and　for　S。　Ex。　Doc。　No。　106；　41st
Congress；　2d　Session；　and　satisfy　himself。　　The　whole　case　is　set　forth
in　the　first　volume　of　the　Court　of　Claims　Reports。

It　is　my　belief　that　as　long　as　the　continent　of　America　holds　together；
the　heirs　of　George　Fisher；　deceased；　will　still　make　pilgrimages　to
Washington　from　the　swamps　of　Florida；　to　plead　for　just　a　little　more
cash　on　their　bill　of　damages　（even　when　they　received　the　last　of　that
sixty…seven　thousand　dollars；　they　said　it　was　only　one　fourth　what　the
government　owed　them　on　that　fruitful　corn…field）；　and　as　long　as　they
choose　to　come　they　will　find　Garrett　Davises　to　drag　their　vampire
schemes　before　Congress。　　This　is　not　the　only　hereditary　fraud　（if　fraud
it　iswhich　I　have　before　repeatedly　remarked　is　not　proven）　that　is
being　quietly　handed　down　from　generation　to　generation　of　fathers　and
sons；　through　the　persecuted　Treasury　of　the　United　States。






DISGRACEFUL　PERSECUTION　OF　A　BOY

In　San　Francisco；　the　other　day；　〃A　well…dressed　boy；　on　his　way　to
Sunday…school；　was　arrested　and　thrown　into　the　city　prison　for　stoning
Chinamen。〃

What　a　commentary　is　this　upon　human　justice！　　What　sad　prominence　it
gives　to　our　human　disposition　to　tyrannize　over　the　weak！　　San　Francisco
has　little　right　to　take　credit　to　herself　for　her　treatment　of　this　poor
boy。　　What　had　the　child's　education　been？　　How　should　he　suppose　it　was
wrong　to　stone　a　Chinaman？　　Before　we　side　against　him；　along　with
outraged　San　Francisco；　let　us　give　him　a　chancelet　us　hear　the
testimony　for　the　defense。

He　was　a　〃well…dressed〃　boy；　and　a　Sunday…school　scholar；　and　therefore
the　chances　are　that　his　parents　were　intelligent；　well…to…do　people；
with　just　enough　natural　villainy　in　their　composition　to　make　them　yearn
after　the　daily　papers；　and　enjoy　them；　and　so　this　boy　had　opportunities
to　learn　all　through　the　week　how　to　do　right；　as　well　as　on　Sunday。

It　was　in　this　way　that　he　found　out　that　the　great　commonwealth　of
California　imposes　an　unlawful　mining…tax　upon　John　the　foreigner；　and
allows　Patrick　the　foreigner　to　dig　gold　for　nothingprobably　because
the　degraded　Mongol　is　at　no　expense　for　whisky；　and　the　refined　Celt
cannot　exist　without　it。

It　was　in　this　way　that　he　found　out　that　a　respectable　number　of　the
tax…gatherersit　would　be　unkind　to　say　all　of　themcollect　the　tax
twice；　instead　of　once；　and　that；　inasmuch　as　they　do　it　solely　to
discourage　Chinese　immigration　into　the　mines；　it　is　a　thing　that　is　much
applauded；　and　likewise　regarded　as　being　singularly　facetious。

It　was　in　this　way　that　he　found　out　that　when　a　white　man　robs　a　sluice…
box　（by　the　term　white　man　is　meant　Spaniards；　Mexicans；　Portuguese；
Irish；　Hondurans；　Peruvians；　Chileans；　etc。；　etc。）；　they　make　him　leave
the　camp；　and　when　a　Chinaman　does　that　thing；　they　hang　him。

It　was　in　this　way　that　he　found　out　that　in　many　districts　of　the　vast
Pacific　coast；　so　strong　is　the　wild；　free　love　of　justice　in　the　hearts
of　the　people；　that　whenever　any　secret　and　mysterious　crime　is
committed；　they　say；　〃Let　justice　be　done；　though　the　heavens　fall；〃　and
go　straightway　and　swing　a　Chinaman。

It　was　in　this　way　that　he　found　out　that　by　studying　one　half　of　each
day's　〃local　items；〃　it　would　appear　that　the　police　of　San　Francisco
were　either　asleep　or　dead；　and　by　studying　the　other　half　it　would　seem
that　the　reporters　were　gone　mad　with　admiration　of　the　energy；　the
virtue；　the　high　effectiveness；　and　the　dare…devil　intrepidity　of　that
very　police…making　exultant　mention　of　how　〃the　Argus…eyed　officer　So…
and…so〃　captured　a　wretched　knave　of　a　Chinaman　who　was　stealing
chickens；　and　brought　him　gloriously　to　the　city　prison；　and　how　〃the
gallant　officer　Such…and…such…a…one〃　quietly　kept　an　eye　on　the　movements
of　an　〃unsuspecting；　almond…eyed　son　of　Confucius〃　（your　reporter　is
nothing　if　not　facetious）；　following　him　around　with　that　far…off　look。
of　vacancy　and　unconsciousness　always　so　finely　affected　by　that
inscrutable　being；　the　forty…dollar　policeman；　during　a　waking　interval；
and　captured　him　at　last　in　the　very　act　of　placing　his　hands　in　a
suspicious　manner　upon　a　paper　of　tacks；　left　by　the　owner　in　an　exposed
situation；　and　how　one　officer　performed　this　prodigious　thing；　and
another　officer　that；　and　another　the　otherand　pretty　much　every　one　of
these　performances　having　for　a　dazzling　central　incident　a　Chinaman
guilty　of　a　shilling's　worth　of　crime；　an　unfortunate；　whose　misdemeanor
must　be　hurrahed　into　something　enormous　in　order　to　keep　the　public　from
noticing　how　many　really　important　rascals　went　uncaptured　in　the　mean
time；　and　how　overrated　those　glorified　policemen　actually　are。

It　was　in　this　way　that　the　boy　found　out　that　the　legislature；　being
aware　that　the　Constitution　has　made　America；　an　asylum　for　the　poor　and
the　oppressed　of　all　nations；　and　that；　therefore；　the　poor　and　oppressed
who　fly　to　our　shelter　must　not　be　charged　a　disabling　admission　fee；
made　a　law　that　every　Chinaman；　upon　landing；　must　be　vaccinated　upon　the
wharf；　and　pay　to　the　state's　appointed　officer　ten　dollars　for　the
service；　when　there　are　plenty　of　doctors　in　San　Francisco　who　would　be
glad　enough　to　do　it　for　him　for　fifty　cents。

It　was　in　this　way　that　the　boy　found　out　that　a　Chinaman　had　no　rights
that　any　man　was　bound　to　respect；　that　he　had　no　sorrows　that　any　man
was　bound　to　pity；　that　neither　his　life　nor　his　liberty　was　worth　the
purchase　of　a　penny　when　a　white　man　needed　a　scapegoat；　that　nobody
loved　Chinamen；　nobody　befriended　them；　nobody　spared　them　suffering　when
it　was　convenient　to　inflict　it；　everybody；　individuals；　communities；　the
majesty　of　the　state　itself；　joined　in　hating；　abusing；　and　persecuting
these　humble　strangers。

And；　therefore；　what　could　have　been　more　natural　than　for　this　sunny…
hearted…boy；　tripping　along　to　Sunday…school；　with　his　mind　teeming　with
freshly　learned　incentives　to　high　and　virtuous　action；　to　say
to　himself：

〃Ah；　there　goes　a　Chinaman！　　God　will　not　love　me　if　I　do　not　stone　him。〃

And　for　this　he　was　arrested　and　put　in　the　city　jail。

Everything　conspired　to　teach　him　that　it　was　a　high　and　holy　thing　to
stone　a　Chinaman；　and　yet　he　no　sooner　attempts　to　do　his　duty　than　he　is
punished　for　ithe；　poor　chap；　who　has　been　aware　all　his　life　that　one
of　the　principal　recreations　of　the　police；　out　toward　the　Gold　Refinery；
is　to　look　on　with　tranquil　enjoyment　while　the　butchers　of　Brannan
Street　set　their　dogs　on　unoffending　Chinamen；　and　make　them　flee　for
their　lives。

＇I　have　many　such　memories　in　my　mind；　but　am　thinking　just　at　present
of　one　particular　one；　where　the　Brannan　Street　butchers　set　their　dogs
on　a　Chinaman　who　was　quietly　passing　with　a　basket　of　clothes　on　his
head；　and　while　the　dogs　mutilated　his　flesh；　a　butcher　increased　the
hilarity　of　the　occasion　by　knocking　some　of　the　Chinaman's　teeth　down
his　throat　with　half　a　brick。　　This　incident　sticks　in　my　memory　with　a
more　malevolent　tenacity；　perhaps；　on　account　of　the　fact　that　I　was　in
the　employ　of　a　San　Francisco　journal　at　the　time；　and　was　not　allowed　to
publish　it　because　it　might　offend　some　of　the　peculiar　element　that
subscribed　for　the　paper。＇

Keeping　in　mind　the　tuition　in　the　humanities　which　the　entire　〃Pacific
coast〃　gives　its　youth；　there　is　a　very　sublimity　of　incongruity　in　the
virtuous　flourish　with　which　the　good　city　fathers　of　San　Francisco
proclaim　（as　they　have　lately　done）　that　〃The　police　are　positively
ordered　to　arrest　all　boys；　of　every　description　and　wherever　found；　who
engage　in　assaulting　Chinamen。〃

Still；　let　us　be　truly　glad　they　have　made　the　order；　notwithstanding　its
inconsistency；　and　let　us　rest　perfectly　confident　the　police　are　glad；
too。　　Because　there　is　no　personal　peril　in　arresting　boys；　provided　they
be　of　the　small　kind；　and　the　reporters　will　have　to　laud　their
performances　just　as　loyally　as　ever；　or　go　without　items。

The　new　form　for　local　items　in　San　Francisco　will　now　be：　〃The　ever…
vigilant　and　efficient　officer　So…and…so　succeeded；　ye