The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-02-18
THE CHINESE TREATY.

VI uSAb
The people of the Pacific coast re-
gard this question, from local point of
view, rs the most important one affect
ing this section Of the country. The
new treaty has been pretty thoroughly
discussed, and there seems to be out
one opinion among those who have
studied ITS features most minutely, and
that Is that its principal provision is
couched in language that unmistskably
confers the right OF naturalization. l.
reads as follows: "They (the Chinese)
shall be accorded all tho rights, privi-
legeS, inmunities and exemptions which
are accorded to the citizens and subjects
of the most favored nations" OAe o.
the most conspicuous rights COZ stred
upon the citizens and subjects of tho
most favored nations is tho right of
naturalization, and ono of tho most
cherished privileges they enjoy is that
of the ballot.
As much as the Burlingame treaty
was abused it was infinitely better than
this, for that instrument, by the Senate
amendment of 1865, very wisely pro
vided ''that nothing herein contained
shall be taken TO confer tie right of
naturalization.
And now tho instrument framed 10y
Mr.. John f. Swift, which it WAS hoped
would forever debar Chinese from
American citizenship, if not from indis-
crimina.o immigration to our shores,
oars for locust-like in
flux of heatlen who may in n few years
hold the balance Of power in elections
and in the government of a country
which was originally intended to be
ruled and governed solely by the Anglo
Saxon race.
We had hoped that there would be
no politics in this matter of Chinese
immigration and naturalization, but
that all good citizens would join alike
in putting down the dangerous and per
nicious evil-that all Christians and
moralists would oppose the influx Of
these woodeng god worshippers and
opium poisoned lepers into our country;
but it looks now like ii would become
a great political question after all An
son Burlingamc let the Chinaman in,
but So red short of making him cit
izen and voter. John +. Swift docs
not shut him out of the country, but
takes him into it's politics as "a valuable
Republican accession, and gives him
the mastery over tho Pacific coast States
In national, State and city elections 1t
is useless to deny the programme any
longer, for it is carried out before our
eyes in words too plain for honest mis-
conception. Senator Morton's report,
the speeches and written letters Of
President-clect Garfield, and the cut
and-dried resolutions which were taken
TO Chicago, and which came so near be-
ing embodied in the National Repub-
lican platform, are all carried out with
remarkable exactituds ia the treaty
framed by John f. Ssift and approved
by his Republican colleagues. And
now it seems as If, with Republicans
everywhere, the means Justify the ond.
Only the other day the Republican
members Of the California State Sen
ate, with three honorable exceptions,
placed themselves on the record as fa-
vorable to this Eew treaty as il is
thereby committing themselves anu
their party in that State to Chinese
naturalization and citizenship. We are
not surprised at this action of the Cali
fornia Republicans. They realize, from
the showing at the last election, that
the Pacific States are in danger. Two
of them in that election turned their
backs squarely upon the Republicans,
and Oregon is 30 close as to be debata-
be ground In this emergency our
Radical opponents will stoop 10 any
depths to gain the advantage and in
this condition Of things the heather
Chinee may as we'll vote as a Democrat,
and must therefore be clothed with the
right of suffrage OF course if they
are allowed to vote they will imnedi-
ately hold the balance of powe; in every
fac.nc coast .otate, and by the easy in
hux of few hundred thousand Of them
into other States they can control the
deetinies of this country.
This is as unworthy, base and infa-
nous a Political trick as was ever
played upon long-suGering people.
Indignation must flash athwart the
heart Of every true American citizen in
contemplating the infamy.
viii Democratic u. S. Senate per-
NIT its consummation