Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-04-06

regretted that pr minent Republicans
should have gone about in many places
loudly expressing their belief that the veto
would "give the State to the Democrats.
It may not help the Democrats hereafter
to have the fact recalled that they openly
expressed qualification at the veto, thereby
making it plain that they cared very little
for the expulsion Of the Chinese, but a
great deal for the success of their party.
The Republicans, however, are always
too previous" in matters of this kind.
They nave strange disposition to help
their opponents by meeting the latter half
way and they take the gloomiest view of
matters which, when rightly regarded, are
by no means so discouraging as they ap
pear at first sight. In the present case
there is really no justification for depres-
sion. The veto of the Chinese bill does
not preclude the passage, at this session of
Congress, Of bill embodying all the
essential provisions of the first one. The
question of time is really not vital to
the plan proposed, but if Mr.. Swift's
statement can be relied upon
it ought to be possible to
convince the President that he has been
misled by imperfect or inaccurate memo
randa, and that in fact the Chinese Govern
ment has declared itself perfectly willing to
accept a much longer suspension than the
original bill specified. As to violent ex-
plosions of animosity against the President,
such as hanging and burning him in effigy,
they are to be strongly condemned and
deprecated, as being both useless and mis-
chievous. The Presidents veto message
shows plainly that he carefully sought out all
the light he could obtain upon the situation.
lie evidently believed that he should be
injuring the commercial interests of Cali
fornia by signing bill which he thought
would be regarded as unfair and unfriendly
by China. He as evidently believed that
the bill did contravene the treaty. If hig
information on that point has been de-
fecti3e, it cannot be charged to him. Ger.
tainly he was fully justified in concluding
that the official records of the negotiations
contained faithful history of the Chinese
positions. 1t appears that there has been
some lamentable laundering in this bust
ness, but we cannot see that the President
is responsible for it. He did not
make the treaty, nor is he to be held &C.
courtable for the looseness and insufiiciency
OF it's stipulations. But be was bound to
be guided by it, and if after obtaining all
the CLOSES at his command, it appeared to
him that it did not justify the legislation
proposed, he could not avoid the course
which he took. Considerations such as
these should convince the California public
that it is neither just nor polite to de.
nounce the President in unmeasured terms.
Il is evident that he is not hostile to any
anti. Chinese legislation which is in con-
sonance with the treaty as he understands
that instrument. This fact justifies the
passed during the present session. No
lasting mischief has therefore been done,
and if the Democrats think that they have
walk.over" because of the veto, we
can only say that they are liable to en-.
counter the fate which proverbially over.
takes people who count their chickens be-
fore they are Matched.