Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-02-06
DEBATE
On Chinese Immigration.

The bill to prohibit vessels from
bringing more than Is Cinnamon to
this country at one time, being on
its passage in the House Of Repre-
sentatives:
Mr.. Townsend (Republican from
N. Y. } opposed the bill because it
was a sundering Of social and politi-
cal connection with more than half
of the human family. He had no
charge to bring against the Demo-
cratic party Tor entering into a treaty
with China. He credited the Demo-
cratic party not with making that
treaty, but with ~conferring prosperity
or the Pacific Coast through its in
strumentality. That was before
Kearney came to this country and
was represented in. these national
halls. Now, Congress is urged to
occupy extraordinary grounds to IA
vor the laboring classes. He did
not wish to ~disparage or underrate
the sutferings of operatives. 1t had
always been, and still is, a hard
struggle for them to keep the wolf
from their doors, but the prosperity
of 1878 (and it had been the most
prosperous year since the dawn of
cr~eatiOn) had been in a great degree
due to the overthrow of the fanati-
cisms of the olden times. To-day it
was the ''Heathen Chinee" and not
as heretofore the Catholic populations
of Europe. lie could tell a way to
convert them. A lady who had a
Chinese boy servant said to him:
''John, be a good boy and learn to
lore Jesus." Yes" replied he
''Give ne a dollar more a week and
j will love Jesus" That is the way
to win the Chinese over to christiani-
ty. Keeping them out Of the coun-
try will new do it. (Mr. Pape IRE
publican from Col was in favor Of
restricting Chinese immigration.
There we're on the Pacific Coast
100000 Cinnamon, who were unfit,
by education, by habits, and by mode
of life for American citizenship, and
government should not allow the Pa
cifc Coast to be oyer-rnn by such a
class. .
Mr.. Luttrel (Democrat from CALI
repadiated the idea uhat the popular
feeling in relation to Cinnamon was
advocated by Republicans only, when
the truth was, that it was the Demo-
cratic party only, that truly represent
ed that sentiment.
Mr.. Willis (Dem. from Ky.) clos
ed the debate in a speech advocating
the passage Of the bill. He said that
under the constitution q treaty was
not more binding or sacred than a
law and that it was the last express
sion of the legislative mind, whether
in the form of a treaty or a law, that
controlled. If, therefore, this bill
became a law, the Burlingame treaty,
so far as it conficted with its pro-
visions, became null and void. He
dweit on the fact that wherever Chi
namen had gone in large numbers,
popular sentiment vas almost uhani-
mously opposed to them. The re-
suit had been resort to repressive
legislation in order to get rid of them.
There was no other way to check the
evils of their presence.
In concluding, Mr.. w. remarked:
Our government is but the reflex Of
the character of our people. If they
arc corrupt, ignorant, selfish, the
government will reflect these nation
al characteristics. The introduction,
therefore, of a class Of persons like
the Chinese, who are without homes
or families. whose education and hab-
ats disqualify them from becoming
citizens, whose Low ideas Of wages
degrade labor, whose want Of virtue
and morality unfit them for associa-
ton, is franght with the gravest dan
gers TO our American institutions and
should be promptly checked. We
say to all our people that they sball
be protectedin their rights and priyi-
leges ; how then can we expect among
the. laboring classes of our communi-
fy. q bold, defiant, honorable citizen
ship, if we say to them that the hon
ors and ~priyiledges Of citizenship are
one thing and their protection and
endowment another and different
ching. Tie bill vas passed, yeas,
LES nays. r.. This bill has yet 70
a the gauntlet In the Senate where
IL may find some opposition on &C
count Of its interference with the trea-
ty making powers of that body.
C,.a,o WINS oufte O FIRE in Columbis