Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-05-04
Going Too Far.

The San Francisco Argonaut COM
mences an able and lengthy editorial on
the Presidential veto Of the Chinese bill,
after reference to the former loyalty OF
California, with this significant SEN
toncc. "Thcrc is no portion of the
United States whose loyalty is more
shaken and whose allegiance is more
unreliable than is ours to-day" Per-
haps the intensity of feeling on this SUBJ
iect existing on the Pacific slope has not
been better formulated into words.
Certainly it has never been more forcibly
stated. The same paper goes still further
and advocates trampling law under foot
and meeting vessels bringing in Chinese
at the wharves and ordering them back
to the ports from which they sailed, with
the intimation TO the captain that sec
ond oifense of the kind would subject
him to a swing from the yard arm of
his own vessel. What makes these ut
torances of more than ordinary import
is the fact that the Argonaut rs by no
means to be considered az an organ of
the sand lots, but on the contrary has
boen one of the Steadiest and most I'M
comprising opponents of Kearney and
his followers.
Yet there are other issues TO be thought
~ - 10 int f,f Gin
which centers the vision of the irate
Californians. Ii the New England senti-
mentality, against which the press of the
western slope enweigh so bitterly, be
imberility, the threats with which they
seek To meet il are rank lunacy. Twice
in the history of this nation has language
of similar nature been heard and both
times the words have been swallowed in
the throats of the utterers
The need for such language is the less
apparent as the California delegation
have only themselves to thank for the
defeat which met the first Chinese bill
Had they proved themselves amenable
to reason and permitted such changes as
were deemed advisable by the bulk of
their party friends there is every reason
to believe that the bill would have re-
ceiyed the signature Of the President
and went at once into active operation.
But acting under the impression that
California and the western slope held
the balance of power between the two
parties they hardened their hearts, in
the belief that party interests would
bring such pressure 10 bear as to force
the signature of the President In this
they were mistaken and now do what
could rs well have been done at first and
save mutual recriminations, Introduce a
new bill
The President did well to interpuse
the bulwark Of his veto between the
traditions and policy of an hundred years
and the Hood tide of fanaticism that
threatened to over leap everything and
leave behind an open breach for future
and more dangerous tides, Admitting
the fact that measure Of relief ought
To he afforded to the inhabitants of Cali
tornia, which isyery generally acknowl-
edged. the people had an undoubtctl
right to say how that relief should be
given No portion Of the country stood
iirmer against the Ku-KluNing methods
Of southern night riders than did the
Republicans of California. But If the
Chinese agitation and its methods of to-
day are right the white leaguers of a
few years ago by no emulation Of logic
can be proved wrong. The one would
prescribe the Chinese for social and
economic reasons, the other wiped a
race out Of existence politically in order
that thcir own power might be perpetu-
ated, The Californian asks the govern
ment To do what the Southcrncr dared
not ask and accomplished without assist
ance and against the power Of that
government. The one believed himself
10 be n deeply injured as the othe,
The southern members were consistent
in voting for bill which practically
stopped, as far as was in its power,
Chinese immigration and cngrafted upon
our policy the passport system, one of
most perniciouS relics of old world
dynaticiSm. They believe this to be "a
white mans government and cast their
votes in support Of that belief. The
lesson was one which had "a be taught
it was not sentimentalism, as the San
Francisco press denominate it but the
common sense of the people that the
President felt to be at his back when he
affixed his veto to the twenty year bill
The treaty negotiated by Commissioner
Angel and Others provides for a reason
able limitation of immigration. This
the tventy year limit was not The
has, under the treaty the |
right TO pass laws checking this influx
This the present ten year bill will do