Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-04-05
THE PRESIDENTS VETO.

appointment to the people of California.
The Congressional debates upon the bill
revealed the existence of much stronger
sentiment against this kind of legislation
than had been anticipated, and though the
public opinion of the Eastern States was
not expressed very strongly in the earlier
stages of the discussion, there can be no
doubt that very powerful pressure was
brought to bear upon the President to pre-
vent him from signing the bill. judging
from the rapid growth of sentiment
hostile to all restrictive measures it may be
concluded that if the President had based
his veto upon the antagonism OF the bill
to the fundamental principles OF American
polity, he would have been sustained by
the people of the Atlantic States, and it
would in that case have been impossible to
obtain any alienation of the evils from
which the Pacific coast is suffering. But
the President has not taken this ground,
and though his objections to the bill will
ent form, the removal of the provisions
which he declares obnoxious can be effected
without materially diminishing the seffect
of the statute. His main objection is to
the twenty. year provision, which he con-
siders equivalent to absolute prohibition,
and therefore in conflict with the spirit, if
not the letter, of the treaty with China
He further objects to the provisions for
registration and passports, which he asserts
to be undemocratic and opposed to the
spirit of American institutions. He objects
to the omission of all provision for the
temporary residence of Chinese who may
desire to regain their own country by
passing through the United States. He
thinks that the Chinese already in the
country should be free to travel and
change their residence, since although they
may no longer be wanted on the Pacific
coast other parts of the country may de-
sire their services.
He points to the fact that these people
have been extremely useful in the past,
though he is not prepared to maintain that
their unrestricted immig grafton in the future
is calculated to be an unmixed good. But
he holds that whatever restrictive measure
may be enacted at present should be in the
nature of an experimental law, and that
to pass the present bill would be to break
faith with the Chinese Government and 10
ignore the tenor of the negotiations which
led to the making of the treaty which the
bill is supposed to follow. 1t will be OBJ
served that none of these objections go to
the principle of the bill. What the Presi-
dent really says is. that he will sign bill
suspending Chinese immigration for five or
ten years, provided it is amended so as to
include the points in regard to which he
objects to the present one. As to the pass
port and registration plan, we presume
that can be abandoned without any dan.
ger. It must be admitted that the method
savored far more of Continental than
American ideas, and that if the same end
can be obtained without it, it will be bet
ter to avoid so strange violation of demo.
cratic doctrines. OF course it remains to
be agcertained whether the bill can be
passed over the Presidents veto, but from
past and present indications We are salts
fed that this is impracticable, and the
more certainly SO because the President
has in effect intimated his willingness to
sign bill which reduces the period Of sus.
pension.
There are in both Houses Of Congress
many men who voted for the present bill
with reluctance and who cannot be in
duced to vote in favor OF passing it over
the veto. 1t is barely possible that this
might be done ia the House, but it would
certainly fail in the Senate. If, however,
the Pacific Coast members introduce new
bill embodying the changes proposed by
the President, without delay. and push it
vigorously, we see no reason why it should
not be passed within the next thirty days,
unless, indeed, the Democrats should think
it their best policy to maintain the statu
quo, and by preventing all further legis-
lation force upon their opponents the re-
sponsibility of defeating the measure.
They c5uld not do this, however, without
exposing their purpose, nor could they
take ground against new bill under any
pretext without putting Themselves in the
very position in which they naturally de-
sire to place their opponents. As the case
stands, therefore, no irremediable harm
has been done. The veto does not at all
necessarily deprive this coast of the pro-
lection it seeks. 1t only postpones legis-
lation somewhat. As regards the diminu-
ton Of the suspension we do not think it
of much consequence. a bill suspending
Chinese immigration for ten, or even five
years, will afford all the present relief that
a twenty-year's suspension could give. In
five or ten years the principle of the bill
will have been fully tested, and if the re-
suits which are expected have flowed
from the law, there will be no difficulty
in getting Congress to renew the prohibi
ton.
We have been convinced from the first
that neither the treaty nor the bill were
sufficiently comprehensive and pertinent
to bring about the changes demanded, and
therefore we cannot feel that even the
complete failure of the latter would be an
irreparable injury to this coast. But
since it is in the school of experience alone
that most men obtain their education, we
recognize the necessity of letting the PEG
pie test this measure fully for themselves.
Such notifications as the President pro-
poses in his veto message will not prevent
this from being done, and it can be accom-
plished quite as effectually in five years as
in twenty. For the rest, we hold it to be
the part of wisdom at this time for the
people of the Pacific coast to continue
patient, temperate and resolute. Nothing
can he rained bv dennunciny the President