The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-05-17
FIJI CHINESE TREATY.

ions now become of more than passing intel
est to the public. In Montana, as we
as in other mining Territories an
States, the social relations of tn
people with the heathens are fully deter
mined and crystalized into all unwritten la"
For over a quarter of a century their tom
toms have been heard in nearly every minin
camp on the Pacific Slope and notwithstand
ing the protests of the press and the peopl
they have wormed themselves into nearl.
every trade and industry pursued in tn
West, until they have become as fixed and i'm
movable among us IS the granite peaks OF tn
Sierras and the Rocky mountains. Blu il
the meantime their status in the social seal
has been strongly marked and definitely set
tied and no treaties between the United StateI
and China can elevate these peculia
pee pie in the estimation OF the residents o
the far west. That the late treaty may, il
time work a change in their social relation:
with the Eastern people is not at all ilnproh
able. Not having, as yet, materially suffered
by their presence and competition, the labor
ing masses are disposed to view their coming
with a charitable eye. How long this feel
ing will exist, time and the operations of the
provisions Of the treaty will determine.
1t is contended that under The treaty the
Chinese may become naturalized. Whether
this be true or not, the treaty shows that ad
dilional guaran' .ees are given for their protec-
ton, and the enjoyment of all the rights and
privileges which are accorded to the citizens
and subjects of other governments. This is
evident from Article I'd, which reads as fol,
lows :
Chinese subjects, whether proceeding tC
the United States as teachers, students, mer.
chants, or from curiosity, together with body
and household servants. and Chinese labor
erS who are now in the United States, shal
be allowed to 90 and come of their own free
will and accord, and shall be accorded all the
rights, privileges, imlnunities and eXemp
tious which are accorded to the citizens anC
subjects of the most favored natIon.'
The comforting of all the "rights, privile'
ges, etc, which are accorded to the citizens
and suhjec's of the most favored nation
w'''ld seem to imply the right of IA China.
man to apply for and receive his naturaliza'
ton papers. Be this AS it may, but few, i
any, of the celestials would avail themselve.
OF the privilege if it were fully guaranteed
The real object Of one of the treaties was tC
to our shores. How ia the treaty reach e!
and correcls the evil may be learned from
Art. lists, h lat stipulates as follows:
'The limitation, or suspension shall be rea
soIable, and shalt apply ONLY to Chinese VIII
may 60 TO the United States as laborer<: Other
classes not being included IN til" limitation.
Legislation taken IN regard to Chinese labor
ers will be Of such ii character only as is nee
essary to enforce the regulation, limitation or
suspension of Immigration, and immigrants
shall not be subject 10 perso..al maltrealmen
or abuse"
a great deal depends here upon the con
structiOn of the word .sreasonabln." We will
say for instance that any corporation or com
pany wishes to employ one hundred or a few
thousand laborers to prosecute enterprises in
this or other sections of the Union, would
out the Chinaman fiom the labor market bv
Legislative prohibition! Would it be done?
Would not that slckly sentlmentality that
has prevailed in the councils of the nation in
the treatment of the Indian question assert
itself in the consideration of the Chinese
labor question? Judging from the past it is
safe to assume that the poor 'Munso.ian'
would receive the benefit of IA liberal con-
struction Of the word reasonable and the
steamships plying between the Occident and
the Orient will be filled, in the future as
in the past, with the Objectionable race. The
truth is Congress will find itself unable to
reollate the labor marlat unaar Tic ulo4.ro-