The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-04-08
DEPORTED HOR THE MINER BY THE
WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH CO.
THE VETO AB9aA0D.
Tho President 9uccumb0 to Oorpo-
ratlons and Sentimentalists,
And Vetoes the Chinese Bill.
Un9ound Reasons Given for the
Foolish Act.

WASHINGTON, April 5.-After careful
consideration of Senate Bill. No. Il. en-
titled AN Act to execute certain treaty
stipulati0ns relating to the Chinese"
herewith return it to the Senate in
which it originated, with my objections
to its passage. A nation is justified in
repudiating it's treaty obligations only
when they are in conflict with q great
paramount interest. Even then, all pos
sible reasonable means for modifying or
changing these obligations by mutual
agreement should be exhausted before
resorting to the supreme right Of refus-
al to comply with them. These rules
have governed the United States in their
past intercourse with other powers as
one Of the family of nations. / am
persuaded that if Congress can feel that
this act violates the faith of the nation
as pledged to China, it will concur and
will endeavOr to find another which
shall meet the expectations of the peO-
pie Of the United States, without COM
ing into conflict with the treaty.
I'd. The provision IN regard to skilled
labor" in the bill, is an addition to the
language and intent of the treaty. It
will act with harshness upon y class of
Chinese merchants entitled to admission
to the United States under the terms of
the treaty; shoe merchants and cigar
manufacturers and merchants Of Chi
nese goods, which they sell at their
places Of business. and to shut out
skilled labor" would practically shut
them out rs well, since it would prevent
them from carrying on their business in
this country. The laundryman who
keeps his shop and his small capital with
which he prosecutes his trade cannot in
any just sense be included in the class
Of lab0rers, and the merchant tailor
comes in the same category.
Sd. The clauses Of the bill relating to
registration and passports are vexatiOus.
They discriminate against Chinese resi-
dents and immigrants, when Article II.
provides explicitly that they shall he en-
titled to all the privileges conceded to
the subjects of most favored nations.
The execution Of these provisions Of
the bill will cause irritation, and in the
case Of the loss Of passport or certificate
Of registration, Chinese residents enti-
tied to remain may be fOrcibly expelled
from the country.
4th. If the bill becomes law, it will
leave the impression in China that its
Government is strangely misunderstood,
anu the character of the treaty. or that
Congress has violated some Of its pro-
visions, and this will tend tn prejudice
the intelligent class against the United
States Government. il people whom they
now greatly admire and respect.
9Th. There is no provision in the bill
for transit across the United States of
Chinese subjects now residing in foreign
countries. Large numbers of Chinese
now live in Cuba and Peru and other
countries. WHO cannot return home
without crossing the territory OF the
United States, or touching ut San Fran
cisco. To deny this privilege, it seems
to me is in violation of international
law and the comfy Of nations and. if
the bill becomes Il law, it will. in this
respect, result in great hardship to mar y
thousands of innocent Chinese in for
eign countries.
may invite the attention of Congress
registration and passports is undemO-
cratic and hostile to the spirit Of our in
stitutiOnS. doubt the wisdom of put
ting an entering wedge of the kind into
our laws.
A nation like the United States, jeal-
Gus of it's liberties, its citizens may well
hesitate before it incorporates into its
policy u system which is fast disappear
ing in Europe before the progress of
lil,er,l institutions. Wide experience
has shown how futile such precautions
are and how easily passports may lie
borrowed, exchanged or even forged. by
persons interested. 1t is nevertheless
thought that Il passport is the most con-
venient way for Identifying such Chi
nese ;ls are entitled to protection under
the Burlingame treaty.
1t may still be doubted whether the
Chinese ought to I've required to register.
1t is certainly our duty under the Bur-
lingame treaty to make their stay in the
United States in operation with the gen
er:sl laws upon them rs nearly like that
OF our own citizens rs we can. cODsis-
tentiy with our right to shut out labor
ers. No good purpose is served in re-
quiring them to register. My attention
has been called by the Chinese Minister
to the fact that the act rs it stands
makes no provision for transit across
the United States Of Chinese subjects
now residing in foreign countries. !
think this point may we'll claim the at
tention of Congress in legislating on this
subject. have said that gONl faith re-
quires us to suspend the immigration of
Chinese labOrers for less period THAI,
twenty years. now add that gOcu
policy points in the same direction.
Our intercourse with China is of recent
date. Our first treaty with that power
is not yet forty Years old. 1t is only
since we acquired California and esta''-
lisilrd Il great seat Of commerce on the