The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-02-01
QUESTIONABLE LEGISLATION.

ton, providing for wholly suspending the
Of Chinese laborers into the
United States for period Of twenty-five
years, We are all familiar with the Efforts
and arguments of the past few years, COM
ing from the Pacific slope, In opposition TO
the further introduction in this country of
Chinese cheap labor but for ourselves
we have failed to see in them either justice
or reason. The fact is, the whole furore
ha sheen raised by and is confined to, the
hoodlum element of California. Why as
people we should pay greater Difference to
their views than to those of any others
or why the nation as a whole should feel
itself called upon to perpetrate in their be-
half an international wrong we have never
been able to clearly understand. And yet
the congressman and politicians from the
tar west have bowed to the array OF several
thousand hoodlum votes and annually
rushed forward with the declaration that
the "Chinese must 60" And the political
parties of the country have of late in cleo
tions been reducad to such close calls that
each Of them has taken up the cry and at
last through their selfish and dema-
gogical motives it is serious question
whether we should not shut up our ports
to immigration from the Celestial Empire
In other words, we are seeking to initiate
to n certain extent the very conduct of
China itself half century back, and which
England rectiiied at the mouth of her can
non. We are attempting simply, in fig
urative sense, to build Chinese wall. All
such legislation in our view is senseless, in
violation of the spirit of our institutions,
and very questionable from legal stand
point, The same objections urged against
the gentlemen of the pig-tail can be with
equal propriety used against two-thirds of
the immigration into this country from
Europe and other quarters of the globe, and
yet no war is ever waged against these
latter. These do not happen to come in
contact with the hoodlum element of Cali
fornia, and so are permitted to come
and go in peace, and yet they work much
cheaper, or are willing so to do, than the
native laborer and are proverbally clanish.
But the great fact of more significance in
the matter than all others, is that the
attempt to exclude from these famous and
attractive shores of ours, any people, other
than those who come for pillage and
crime, is in direct conflict with the idea OF
this government. 1t is popularity sup
posed to be, and is in fact, ian asylum for
the oppressed of all nations and merely
because man is willing to came here and
labor cheaply, or for nothing, if he desire,
is no reason, ut all, why congress should
interfere to thwart the aims and
intent of our constitutions and the in.
stitutions founded Hereunder. 1t is one
of the natural rights of man that he shall
go where he p!eases, do what he likes, and
live where it suits him, provided he be ODE
dent to and amenable to the laws of his
domicilc. But weightier considerations than
tn sc even, if other argument is necessary,
address themselves to our minds at the
present juncture of affairs. America is Just
reaching the cminence as u commercial ma
ton and in few years, by the cultivation
of friendly relations, all tie rich traffic Of
the east can be controlled by us-a trade,
indeed, that has attracted the attention and
excited the cupidity of every commercial
nation of whom history treats. And this
may be driven away from us by that short
sighted policy that would drive the Chinee
from our shores and prejudice his govern
ment against us to tickle the rabble of Cal
ifornia, Oregon and Nevada. 1t is an ex-
traordinary question without two sides TO it,,
and this is a very plain, simple common
sense one, and easily settled upon natural
and business principles. The New York
merchants have been intelligent enough to
recognize the difficulties and losses that
would ensue from the adoption OF the bill
before congress and at the next meeting of
their chamber of commerce, it is stated, n
strong remonstrance will be sent to Wash
ington against the passage of the bill with
request to their representatives to use their
influence in defeating it. The time for
introducing the bill they say, is peculiarly
inopportune, us the English Just now are at
extraordinary pains to conciliate China. as
witnessed by the marked honors recently
paid to the embassy in London, and the
friendly reception later of the Chinese
commercial steamer that arrived, a short
time ago, IN the Thames. There is clause
of the bill which oompes Chinese students,
merchants, teachers and others of the ex-
cmpt class to exhibit certificates from their
government, endorsed by American consuls
at the ports of departure, and such a
feature is little less than an af-
front, and cannot but touch their
national pride, which will, in
due time, seek retaliation on
our missionaries as well as our merchants.
And Mr. ex.SecretaIy Evarts, the best of
authorities. contends that the passage of
the bill would be in violation of the terms
of the amended treaty negotiated between
China and the United States. We trust our
own representatives ut Washington will
unite in defeating this measure, so sense.
less and intolerant in its conception, and so
injurious possibly to the future commercial
interests of America. And we trust that
a.