The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-04
California, Congress, aud the Chinese.

The Pacific States thus far. apparently,
have accepted the collapse OF the fifteen
passenger bill with creditable moderation.
That there are not more outburstss Of
pigry menace is probably due ~ some
-onsclousness that whatever the evil
.hey complain OF. this bill was bad
remedy. Struck by the almost unani-
nous condemnation OF 1t in all other
parts OF the land, the Alta California con-
cludes that HAYES, in his recent message,
chose the easy path OF Difference to the
clamor OF those nearer to him, in nOwise
affected by the evil TO be relieved by the
bill" The truth is that an overwhelming
public sentiment, denouncing that bill as a
degradation TO national faith and the ma
tional character, pushed Mr. HAYES. at last,
TO do with 1t what he had miserably failed
10 do with It's tit forerunner, the pension
arrears bill.
To refuse 10 sign a bill so palpably out
rageous was the least reparation that Mr.
HAYES could make for having himself rem
dered II possible. Nine months ago Con-
gress requested him to open negotiations
with China, which would have barred out
this disgraeeiul legislation. The House
Committee which reported Mr.. WRENs pas
senger bill. on the lith OF January, did 50 on
the express ground that as nothing what
ever had been done by Mr.. HAYES under the
resolution OF last June, Congress must be
! convinced of his unwillingness or inabil-
! ity" to obey its request. 1t is noticeable
that Mr.. HAYES. in his dissertation TO Con-
! gress on the anti-Chinese bill, says not one
word Of the resolution Of last June, which
he has steadily ignored. There is no init
nation that negotiations are pending" COM
plains the San Francisco Cal, in reviewing
Mr.. HAYEs's message; and in that respect
California, Congress, and indeed the coun-
try as whole may Join in denouncing the
HAYES Government which has been guilty
OF a costly and culpablc neglect
But while it seems certain that If Mr. HAYES
having done his duty, had been able TO re-
port in his December message that negotia-
lions with China were favorably opened,
Congress would then have rejected any bill
| interfering with these negotiations, anC
that thus all the bad blood since stirred NJ
on the Pacific coast would have been spared
yet this misconduct OF HAYES did not excus,
Congress in its course
The pretence OF an overruling urgency FOL
the whole Union there are probably not owe
10000 Cinnamon. From the middle Of 1877
10 the BEGINNING OF 1878 the number OF Chi
nese leaving San Francisco was actually
greater than the number entering 1t. TIT
latest records OF arrivals and departure
show that during the last six months o
1878 only ,955 Chinese arrived in California
while 4,Gl6 sailed away. The arrivals ar
not nearly as numerous as years ago, 81
that the theory Of steadily increasing
stream is false. California, during the pas
thirty months, has grown enormously in it
white population; its yellow population ha
not only relatively but actually dimin
ished.
The Pacific coast, however properly in
sists on taking into the comparison all tn
months Of last year, when studying the ten
denotes OF Chinese immigration. Tho Sa
Francisco Bulletin has examined the Custom
House records for 1878, and finds the tota
arrivals Of Chinese to be 6675; the total de
partures 6,O7l-an excess OF GOA arrivals
These figures, however, while including a.
, arrivals, do not include ali departures t
, other States aud other countries nor d
, they include the deaths, far greater in nun
Der than the births; SO that eyerybod
must see at once, even from the figures {
anti-Chinese authorities, that the number {
Chinese not only in California but in tn
whole country, has for many months bee
diminishing. Even without any OF thes
necessary allowances, what folly to clair
g that net Chinese increase OF GOA in yea
T. when the g .oo'-ian population Of Californi
t alone must have increased more tina