Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-04-14

Turning over to the Republican party
don't seem to have helped the cause much
in Virginia affairs.
PRACTICE AGAINST THEORY.
The most dangerous peril to even the
most beautiful theory ID its ruthless reduc-
ton to practice. If men OF nations could
live in the upper air Of theory it is impos-
sible to estimate the benefts-thsoretica
they might confer on other men and ma
lions. It is gilded harness that greatly
improves the appearance of the steed and
gals him nowhere. That all men were
free and equal and had equal rights, was
enc Of those theories that the American
Union Haunted in the face of the ''effste
monarchies'' OF Europe until the day came
for putting it into practice and the nation
bowed it's head IN mourning over its sons
slain in tho bloody experiment. So, too,
We have for century, held up our coun-
try to the adniring, if jealous, gaze of the
world as the refuge of the oppressed Of every
land. It has been part of the capital
stock of stump orators Of all parties so
long, and has been repeated without coll
tradiction 30 often that it had assumed the
livery of an axiom. In this garb the Re
publican party, which in the last twenty
years has assumed the position of admin
istrater with the will annexed, of the
fathers, has monopolized it in it's entirety
The Democrats have also laid claim to it,
but with mental reservation to the effect
that while this country is and of right
ought to be the home of the oppressed, yet
the oppressed, il they come in sufficient
numbers, especially if not white men, to
Cypress anybody else must be checked. In
the present and last national administra-
lions application Of the stern test of prac-
tiee to this theory of the Republican party
has twiced occurred in the matter Of
Chinese immigration. Under Mr.. Hayes
administration the evil day was put off by
veto. and the plea used was that treaty
was being negotiated with China. But
under Mr.. Arthur's administration the
treaty had already bsen negotiated and
the fact that it was the treaty itself that
was sought to be evaded left no room for a
plea of postponement, so bill suspending
Chinese immigration for twenty years was
passed by an almost solid Democratic vote
aided by greatly divided Republican vote.
The treaty itself provided that the Amerl
can government might Suspend but not
''prohibit'' Immigration, and President
Arthur naturally holding that twenty years
was, in effect, prohibition, vetoed the bill
and suggested notifications.
This episode, of course, gives the De-
mocracy additional confirmation of their
claim to be the guardians of the interest
CT the worklngmen of this nation, and
equally reduces the Wanted claim of the
Republican party to that position, but it
is matter that ought to be looked at from
much more elevated stand point than
mere party vantage. The votes cast en-
the admission of the Asiatic immigrants
were really cast upon the question of bow
much shall the existence of the American
Republic be shortened. The history of the
world shows that no republic can live in
which the discordant elements of different
races form one of the governing forces
that have to be managed. Fate has al
ready saddled this Republic with four mil
lions of different race, an Inferior race
Their participation in the government is
an experiment, that has not yet been en-
dorsed even by those who favored it as i
political necessity. But the Negroes ars
full pledged Americans compared with
what would be the income of free imm-
grafton from China. They are natives,
speak our language and hold our religious
belief. That they can never asslmilae
with the whites makes them menace to-
good government for all time, and makes
their future an enigma to their best friends.
But the Chinaman has not the claim on
our patience and liberation that the Neg:o
has. He is not an American in fac-
tongue, hand no, heart. He does not pro
pose to become one. He preserves his
nationality In life as he did at home. and
in death be demands that his body shall
be sent back to whence it came. The Eu-
ropean, who is of our race, comes and his
children are American citizens in every
sense of the werd. They do not throw labor
ing men out of employment by working for
next to nothing nor throw he farmer and
merchant out of trade by living on next to
nothing. OF course the number of Chinese
that rat Haay come is for the most part mat
ter of speculation, but in that speculation
our readers may be assisted by the knowl-
edge, gained from the census report, that
Notwithstanding the obstacles thrown in
their way and notwithstanding their brutal
treatnenJ-for it has been brutal-from
some classes in California, yet they have
arrived with such persistence that every
eighth man in that State is Chinaman.
How many of The four hundred millions
of these Celestials may come under better
conditions for their residence it is hard to
estimate.
The theory of America being the refuge
of the oppressed is receiving its first prac-
tical test and will have to meet practical
objections. Among them are; that every
government has right to decide who
bhall come to it's shores-a right that all
governments exercise; that every govern
nent that has long life at heart must see
10 it that its people are as nearly as pos