, 1882-04-22

Hon. John NJ Swift, OF California, "ho
was one Of the late commissioners 10
China in a recent letter in relation TO the
veto OF the Chinese bill said
Frcm what | saw in China II Is my
opinion that had the ffteen-paSsenger act
been passed INTO law, although 1T was IN
the very teeth of the Burlingame treaty.
no objection would have been made by
the Chinese government | believe that
So far AS China is concerned no new
treaty Was necessary before prohibiting
the immigration Of Chinese laborers. The
treaty was only necessary to remove the
objections OF our own government to leg
islation against the provisions of the Bur
l;ngame treaty The Chinese =ouh not,
| think, have found fault had We done so.
The real opposition 10 restriction OF
Chinese immigration comes, not from
China, but from citizens Of the United
States, who expect to make money out OF
cheap labor, regardless Of every other
economic, social or political consideration.
l have nevar known any American or
European resident of China who thinks
the Chinese government want their peo-
pie to migrate or that they would claim 1t
as a valuable right that their people
should come TO this or to any other coun-
try. The force that sets the Chinese TO
moving in this or any other direction, and
opposes restrictions being placed upon the
movement, has It's base and standing
ground in this country alone. 1t has no
standing i'll China And IN my humble
opinion the most OF the supersensIbIlIty
over the inviolabie obligations Of treaties
about which We have heard So much Ill
this connection, comes not 50 much from
exaggerated respect for international OBJ
legations as from desire to continue the
Of Chinese coolies for cheap
laborers The new treaty was under
stood by all parties to allow the United
States TO regulate, limit and suspend the
coming of Chinese laborers 20 this coun-
try as long as it was, i'll the opinion Of
the United States, in any n'anner detrl-
mental to their interests. Every hint or
suggestion OF the Chinese government
looking to China having any Voice IN de-
termIning the circumstances or extent OF
any action to be taken by this govern
meut was sternly repudiated as even the
basis of discussion by the American CON-
missioners, as the proceedings Will show.
The new Treaty, III as plain terms as
words can express, provides that when
ever Ill the opinion of the United States
the coming or residence Of Chinese labor
els effects or threatens to effect the inter
ests Of the United States or any part
thereof. they may limit or suspend the
same. And Of the duration Of such sus-
pension they are 10 be the sole judges.
And as | understand the situation it
stands thus: 4 majority Of both branches
of congress, on the one hand, think that
the exIgency has arisen when the power
should be exercised the President and
minority OF congress, on the other hand,
think it has not. That Is about all | can
see in the controversy. As 10 what Is a
reasonable suspension, that can only be
Judged by the nature Of the evil and the
object to be accomplished. And when
the President says that twenty years is
too long | can only say that, in my Opin-
ion, he either does not view the colning
0. Chinese to this country as an evil al
all, or he does not look upon ii as an evil
Of such magnitude As We upon this coast
do. | mast assume tha. he, as logical
man. CONSTITUTES the word reasonable as
allowing OF all the time necessary to abate
the evil, if it is an evil, and that when
he says that twenty years Is too much, he
either thinks the immigration is no evil
at all, bat, on the contrary, an advantage,
or that IL is but slight evil, not reqUir-
ing legislative restriction.