The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-23
Hayes and the Chinese Bill.

The people OF the Pacific coast claim that
the Fraudulent President is pledged TO favor
the flftoen-passenger bill, by the promises
which member OF his Cabinet made for
him last summer In San Francisco.
1t Is not true that Erring Brother KEY
pledged his principal to sign this specific
bill, for at that time 1t was not framed; and
the bill nearest IL in scope and purpose, In
PRODUCED the previous winter. did not define
the number OF Chinese passengers, but put
q monstrous head tax on all Chinese arriv-
Ing here, with penalty OF hard labor in jail
for not paying it, But Mr.. KEY did pledge
tho HAYES Administration to sympathy
with tho anti Chinese movement; his wan
behring's to California were palpably designed
20 bid for popularity on that score; and tho
Pacific coast newspapers and Congressman
have ever since counted HAYES as with them
In the race crusade, and have regarded him
as virtually pledged TO sign any bill re-
stricting tho immigration which KEY de-
plored. Whatever HAYES may do or fail to
do with the pending bill, he gave fatal i'm
pulse last summer TO the movement which
has put the country into its present dishon-
orable attitude.
But tho visit and volunteered sympathy
OF Erring Brother KEY we're not the only or
chief aid given by the HAYES Administra-
tlon to this dlsgraceful business. Last
June an attempt to commit Congress to an
act Of folly and dishonor like the one 1t has
now been guilty OF, was foiled by tho intro
duction and passage Of a wise, temperate,
courteous, and dignllied joint resolution.
which would have prevented all the now
pending legislation had It's instructions
been carried out. This resolution, substl-
tuted for the various headmoney. anti
employment, and other shameful bills OF
race legislation, requested Mr.. HAYES 10
promptly open negotiations with the Chinese
authorities for tho purpose Of procuring, by
mutual agreement, a modification OF that
part OF the treaty providing for unrestricted
intermigration.
Congress adjourned. Instead OF doing
anything to carry out tho provisions OF this
resolution, HAYES and his Secretaries went
up and down the country on their strolling
tours June, July, and August passed; then
q most favorable opportunity for obeying
the resolution presented itself by the ar
rival OF the Chinese Embassy in Connectl-
cut. No advantage was taken OF the leisure
part of the year; when September had gone,
and part OF October. tho Embassy re-
moved to Washington and was formally re-
ceived by HAYES. Still the resolution bore
no fruit; when November had passed, and
Congress had reassembled, HAYES had not
one word Of progress 10 report. He had
found leisure for attending cattle fairs, and
Mr.. EvARTs for private law cases; but they
had nothing to say to Congress on this most
important question.
The neglect OF HAYEs's December message
has never been repaired. Other Congress
sional resolutions on international topics
have found response. A resolution regard
ing the "threc rules Of neutrality" almost
Simultaneous with that on Chinese immi-
grafton drew forth from HAYES a long doc
ument on Jan. 10, 1879; to the resolution
about commerce with South America, dated
Dec 5, 1873 HAYES hurried in a special mes
sage on Dec. 10, backing up the subsidy
hunters. But the Chinese negotiations are
still not heard from.
To show beyond question the true extent
Of HAYES responsibility for the present
disgraceful state OF antl-Chinese legislation,
1t Is only necessary to cite few words from
the report made by the House Committee on
Education and Labor, when 1t reported the
ffteen-passenger bill:
"Your Committee In view OF the Importance and urg
sney Of the question after patent hearing Of the evil
aence and argument both sides early date after
is organization, presented resolution, which with
slight modification passed both Houses Of Congress This
resolution again called attention 10 the obnoxious lea
lures In the BURSGAHE treaty and requested prompt
uon the part Of the Executive Dc partment in securing
Its change or AbrOgauon. such action would
have been preferable 10 tho direct interference by Con
gress nasmuch it would have been free from all doubt
as to tsesality and would not have jeOpsrdzed the
friendly feelings commercial intercourse between
the two countries m the Forty.fourth Congre
The resolution already referred passed. calling the
attention Of the Executive Department to the necessity
Of aehange in the tseaty This resolution again pre-.
ented and passed In tie second ssion OF the present
Congress but has not, far your Committee 10 in
formed. called forth any practical effort at action SO
long period OF nonacuon proves either the unwi
the inability Of the treaty making power to cope
with the question In either event your Committee con
hder that further delay would work great injustice to
large portion OF country, provided the evils whereof
they complain are well iOundedn
This report was dated Jan. IA, 1S79-seven
months after the passage OF the Joint reso-
luton OF Congress which 1t speaks Of as
neglected. Whether or not 1t be true as this
Committee thinks. that "up to very re-
cent date the Chinese Government would
have made no serious objections to change
OF the treaty" there can DO no doubt OF tho
Injury wrought to the country by the long
neglect Of the HAYES Administration.
The amendments made by tho Senate TO
the Chinese bill have interposed some OBJ
Btacles to reaching 1t again in the House,
without two-thirds vote. But its opponents
will do well not to relax any efforts OF their
own for defeating it, on the theory that
HAYES will refuse TO sign 1t.
Last Years Magnificent Cotton Crop.
1t is known that the crop OF cotton harvest