The First Chinese American: The Remarkable Life of Wong Chin Foo

21. Is It Then a Crime to Be a Chinaman? (1893)

21 Is It Then a Crime to Be a Chinaman? (1893) For Congress to repeal the Geary Act, a new bill would be required, and the man to introduce it was Congressman John Forrester Andrew, a Massachusetts Democrat. Elected in 1888, Andrew was a Harvardeducated attorney who sat on the Committee on Foreign Affairs. He had lost his re-election bid at the end of 1892, but was to remain in the House of Representatives until March 3, 1893. This was enough time for a bill and, as it turned out, a hearing. William Lloyd Garrison, Jr. was the point man for the petitions to Congress. He had begun collecting them through his appeal to Boston-area friends and acquaintances and had gathered more from audience members at the Tremont Temple event. Wong was also amassing appeals in New York. In a January 4, 1893, letter to Garrison written on Chinese Equal Rights League letterhead from his office at 42 Bible House, New York—ironically, given Wong’s antiChristian stance, the headquarters of the American Bible Society— he mentioned having more petitions in hand that he would send to Boston. According to the letterhead, Wong had assumed the presidency of the organization; Sam Ping Lee’s name had disappeared entirely (although it would re-appear several years later), while both Tom Lee and Tom Yuen were listed with Wong’s old title of secretary . Also enumerated were Dek Foon as assistant secretary and Lee Fun Shing as treasurer. In the letter, Wong revealed plans for a mass meeting in Washington later in the month, noting that he had already secured letters of introduction to prominent Washingtonians and initiated contact with several newspapers there.1 A journalist himself, he instinctively understood the value of public relations, decades before the term was coined. He also had clearly begun to grasp the importance of pressure politics and coalition-building. One group of Americans with a 210 The First Chinese American vested interest in the Chinese goals who were unlikely to make their voices heard in Congress were the Americans living in China. Wong did not leave this stone unturned. In a February 3 article, the North China Herald reported receiving a letter from the Chinese Equal Rights League asking the newspaper to use its “influence among the American merchants as well as other residents and clubs and make suitable resolutions and return the same for presentation to Congress.” That Wong was well-advised to solicit them was made clear in a comment in the same paper: There is hardly an American in China who . . . would not sign a petition to Congress for the repeal of the Geary Act, if one or two prominent American citizens here would take the matter up. Not from any fear that the Chinese government may be induced to institute some reprisals if the Geary Act is actually put into force . . . but from a spirit of justice toward the Chinese.2 Figure 26 Bible House. Wong rented accommodations for the Chinese Equal Rights League at 42 Bible House—ironically, given his anti-Christian stance, the headquarters of the American Bible Society. Is It Then a Crime to Be a Chinaman? (1893) 211 The Herald also predicted that it would be “a calamity for the Chinese, for the people of the United States and for humanity at large” if the act were ever put in force.3 Garrison forwarded the documents to Congressman Andrew. On January 10, the latter presented to the House of Representatives what the New York Times called a “monster petition” demanding repeal of the Geary Act. Most of the signatures were from leading clergymen, businessmen, and public figures from Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. Garrison had suggested that Andrew divide the petitions by congressional district in order to bring more direct pressure to bear on individual legislators, but there were so many, and so many without addresses, that Andrew decided simply to compile them into one comprehensive document and maximize their dramatic effect.4 Ten days later, he presented an additional 33 appeals.5 “Among the striking petitions,” the Times remarked, “are some signed entirely by adopted citizens of Italian or German descent who are unwilling to deprive others of the privileges which they enjoy by the favor of the great Republic of the West.”6 That, perhaps, or a fear that, after the Chinese, they might well be next. Andrew also submitted a...