The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-04-13
The Chinese Question

The Chinese Question.
Last week we had space only to announce
that the President had vetoed the Chinese
Bill. This week we publish the full text of
the message. 1t will be found on the front
page. A careful reading OF it will convince
every intelligent man that no other course
could have been adopted by the Executive
consistent with his oath of office and the
honor and dignity of the government. The
case is so calmly. clearly and forcefully
stated in the message as to dispense with
any additional argument. The objection
we haye to it is that it substantially endorses
the policy of the measure it arrests, and
confines it's justification to the treaty stip-
ulations which the bill violates. and which
the honor of this country demands should
be respected. To meet the object ions of
the President. the same BILL modified as to
the term of its operation, has been intro
duced by Mr.. Miller, one of the California
Senators, who supported the original meas
ure, which will doubtless pass and receive
has the true idea on this. subject, and that
is to leave it with the Chinese governme mt
to regulate immigration from that country
to this, in accordance with any friendly sng-
gestions our government might deem it
wise and eXpedient to make. 1t is well
known that the policy of the Emperor is
not to encourage the emigration of his sub
iects. 1t is traditional and tIme-honored,
and so far respected by those who do leave
tbatcountry for this as to cause their stay here
to be temporary. There are fewer Chinese
in the United States now than there were
five years ago, although immigration COM
menced as early as 1846-47, when gold was
first discovered on the Pacific coast, and
their,purpose to make this country their per-
manent home. On the contrary even their
dead are returned to their native land. and
the receding tide of the living is greater
than the advancing, the estimated number
being $4,000 less than in 1876. All told,
there are now but few in excess of 100000
not enough scarcely for the miss ionary
societies to practice their converting arts
upon, and train their agents for the broader
fields of the Chinese Empire. In this re-
contradiction in the policy of the legisla-
ton embraced in the Chinese bill, and that
of the religious denominations of this coun-
try. They send missionaries there to civil
ize the ''heathen Chinee,' while the politi-
cal parties of this country enact laws to
keep the Chineseaway from the influence
of the kind of civilization we propagate.
If the religious theory be right then the
political theory is wrong, and the church
influence could very easily curb the ardor
! of the politicians if they would combine
to vindcate the principle and policy of the
mission work. 1t is true the Chinese do
not qualify themselves to vote in this coun-
try, and to that may be traced the horid
patriotism of the demagogues who worship
the holder of ballot and damn the hold
err of the shovel and the pick, who adds
teu dollars OF wealth to the nation, while
be appropriates one dollar of earnings to
his savings, with which to return to his
country. But the church membership have
votes, and if they would direct the influence
of them to rebuking the demagogues who are
railing against the non-voting laborer, yet
value creating Monaghan, they would soon
have the field of church missions, at home
and abroad, free from political obstruc-
tions.
Not only is the policy of the Chinese bill
hostile to the mission cause, but it arrests
the development of advantageous CONNER
cial relations between the United States and
China. The diplomacy which resulted in
the Burlingame treaty, and the establish
ment of direct commercial intercourse be-
tween the two countries, was source of
universal cOngratulation in America, at the
time. Its major defects were afterwards
modified by treaty negotiations, and from
that time to this commerce between the
two countries has been yearly growing,
opening up adirect market not only for the
merchant but the missionary, and aug
menting our trade and advantages not only
in national values but human souls, if the
|
represented to be.
When the policy of the Chinese govern
ment as to emigration is considered and
the restrictions placed upon it, and the fact
that Chinese labor has been immensely be-
neficial to the Pacific coast, redeeming its
waste lands, constructing Its railroads and
developing its natural wealth in every re-
spect, we must conclude that all this wild
clamor about Chinese immigration is to con-
ciliate and crafty the sand-lots OF the
| Dennis Kearney stripe, who use their bal
lots TO intimidate Office-seekers, and their
muscles to outrage the non-voting yet in
dustrious and withdrawing Chinese
To enact this spirit into national law
and national policy, we close up the most
prolific channel of our foreign commerce,
which for years we were seeking to open,
and finally secured to degree, and finish
| the work of the American mission societies
among the four hundred millions of Celes-
tials. 1t is a contradiction of the theory of
our government-of its traditional policy,
and the arrest of the influences of our Re-
publican institutions. 1t is confession
that our political system is to some degree
failure, and that fifty IN millions of the ma
tive and adopted Americans cannot stand
the pressure of one hundred thousand pig
tails, who only ask the privilege to labor
for the development of our resources, Civ
ing tenfold what they receive, and then TAX
ing their pittance to carry them back to
their native land TO die and be buried
This whole Chinese scare is the supremest
demogognism-very well suited to the
calibre and policy of the Democratic
party, but wholly inconsistent with the
record, the principles and the mission OF
the Republican party. If the voting por-
ton of the membership of the Christian
denomination, would hold up their ballots
only for that policy OF enlightened civiliza-
ton, which has heretofore distinguished our
government as to all immigrants, we would
soon see the sensationalists and demagogues
who are trying to make political apital out
of this Chinese question hiding from such
formidable exhibition and protesting as
earnestly as ever Peter did in denying his
Savior, that they never knew it.