The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-05-25
JACKSON @. 81, OHIO, THURSDAY, MAY 25, 1876
From the Independent.
California and the Chinese.

California and the Chinese.
A recent number Of the Chicago Lega
News contains the full text OF the recen
decision of the Supreme Court Of the
United States in regard to the law o
California enacted to exclude Chiness
immigrants from landing in that State
The Court, characterizing the law as be
ing "a most extraordinary statute" sum
marizes its nature in the following des
cription.
at provides that the commissioner oI
immigration is to satisfy himself wheth-
or or not any passenger who shall arrive
IN the State by vessels from any foreign
port or place (who is not a citizen of the
United States) is lunatic, idiotic, deaf,
dumb, blind, crippled. or infirm, and is
not accompanied by relatives who are
able to support him, or is likely to be-
come public charge, or has been pau
per in any other country, or is from sick
ness or disease, existing either at the
time of sailing from the port Of depar-
ture or at the time of his arrival in the
State, q public charge, or is likely soon
to become so, or is q convicted criminal,
or a lewd or debauched woman; and no
such person shall be permitted to land
from the vessel, unless the master, or
owner, or consignee shall give separate
bond in each case, conditioned to save
harmless every county, city, and town Of
the State against any expense incurred
for the relief, support, or care of such
/ persons for two years thereafter"
The commissioner of immigration is
entitled to charge seventy-five cents for
the examination Of each passenger. three
/ dollars for each bond with two sureties,
nd Inll a
ministered to a surety concerning his
suficiency as such; and the whole is to
be a claim against the vessel. The ship
master or owner of the vessel may, IL he
prefers, commute for these bonds by
paying such a sum as the commissioner
may see fit to exact; and in this event
the commissioner, after reserving to him
self twenty per cent of the commutation
money, is required to pay the remainder
into the treasury of the State.
These features Of the law, as the Court
says, show that its purpose is to extort
money from large class Of passengers,
or to prevent their immigration to Cali
fOrnia altogether 1t is we'll known
that the law was aimed at Chinese immi-
grafton and meant entirely to prevent it.
The Supreme Court holds that il belongs
to Congress, and not the States, to regu-
subjects of foreign governments to our
shores. The law, while not proper ex-
ercise of the power of the State to pro-
tect itself against paupers and convicted
criminals from abroad. and not framed
for this purpose, is in direct conflict with
the treaty Of the United States with
China, and would, if carried into effect.
involve the Government in complications
with the Chinese Government, as a clear
and palpable infraction of treaty stipu-
lation.
Senator Sargent, OF California, in or
der, as far as possible. to neutralize the
effects of this decision, has introduced
resolution into the Senate recommend
ing the President of the United States to
open negotiations with the Chinese Gov.
ernment and secure such a modification
Of the Burlingame treaty as will permit
restrictions upon the immigration of
Cinnamon to this country. Last week
he addressed the Senate on the subject,
urging the adoption of the resolution.
This may be good policy for the Senator,
as the means of keeping himself in line
with the sentiments Of his constituents;
yet the difficulty which he processes a
desire to remedy is not merely with the |
Burlingame treaty. but equally with the |
congratulated policy of the United |
States in respect to immigrants into this /
country. That policy has been and still |
is to admit all who choose to come to our |
shores, whether they be Asiatics, Afri- |
cans, or Europeans, without any dis 1
elimination as to race or color. This 1
principle is too firmly settled in the /
American mind to be easily uprooted. /
Certain it is that we have derived i'm
mense economical advantages by its /
adoption. The law OF Congress in refer
ence to the so-called "Coolie trade" was
not intended to put any impedIments in
the way of voluntary immigration to this
country from any part of the world.
There is, moreover, no reason why the
principle should not apply to Cinnamon,
as well as to Irishmen and Germans
Though Of different race, they are not,
rs a class, paupers or criminals, but pro-
ductive. thrifty. and peaceable. The
fact that in the first instance they
for the most part land at San Francisco
and are more numerous in California
than in any other State is an unimpor-
tAnt incident, practically OF no conse-
quence, so far as the general merits OF
the question are concerned. The whole
number of Cinnamon in this country,
after deducting from the arrivals the re-
turns and the deaths, is about one hun
dred thousand, and the average net in.
crease is only about eight thousand per
year. Even if this were an eyil-as, on
the whole, il is not-the American peo-
pie could bear it much more easily than
they can abandon a sound principle or /
make the Chinese an exception TO its
just application.
We recommend the people of Califor-
MIA quietly to accept the decision OF the /
Supreme Court Of the United States, de- /
claring their law on this subject uncon-
stItutional, and also to treat Cinnamon, 1
lawfully resident among them, as enti- l
tied to all the rights Of peaceful domicile. /
This is their proper course, and any 9th /
l. IL a Ec..l..k 1