, 1882-04-14

where they have any doubts ABOUT
being able to get along safely with.
out assistance. He says that as long
us the master Of ship manages to
save tho expense OF p'lo.age there
is no fault found by owners, (neither
does he get extra credit marks for
| it), until q mishap occurs, and then
the fi,st question is, "Why, couldn't
you get piIots Did We ever refuse
to pay pilotsge9" And perhaps the
luckless captain gets his "walking
papers," al through endeavoring to
save pilot fees for the owners Of
his vessel.
IT is quite humiliating to note the
peurile manner in which such papers
as the Seattle "Post-Intel. igencer"
and the Portland "Orsgonian" han
die the Chinese question: These
journals aspire to leading positions
among the republican papers on toe
Pacific Coast, and one would expect
from them able reviews and com.
ments upon questions affecting the
public welfare and interesting the
public mind .as docs the matter Of
Chinese immigration--yet what do
we find? they commit themselves to
the argument that President Arthur
should have signed the Chinese Bill
because the republican party would
lose strength IN consequence Of tho
veto. OF all the childish, silly clap
trap ever used as argument by stree,
corner politicians, this is certainly q
few degrees ahead Of anything we
have seen yet. If President Arthur
has acted from q sense of the high
and solemn duties devolving upon
him in the discharge OF the functions
Of chief magistrate Of our nation
dseming it better to preserve our
faith with China than that partizan
plans OF politicians should flourish,
he has raised himself to the dignity
of q statesman. He used to be call
ed "Chet Arthur, the New York
ward politician," but his sense of the
proprieties in dealing with the Chi.
ness question, as president of the
nation, lifts him above the aspersion
his old appellation carried with il.
He is president Of the nation, not Of
any party-and it would be well for
partizan newspapers to remember
this fact. His veto message midi.
Gates that he is as keenly alive to the
evils Of Chinese immigration to III .
country as are any Of the blatai {
howlers for aytreme measures, and
indicates that he has vetoed Miller's
Bill reluctantly. He evidently fa'
vors doing everything that we have
RIGHT to do in the way Of restrio-
tive measures, but wisely concludes
that we had better not break faith
even with China. The idea that the
republican party is going to be ruin.
ed by this veto is absurd. We do
not believe that the people will be
mislsd by the hollow bombast just
row being put forth by a few of the
demoratic newspapers and orators
who are trying to make political cap
ital out Of the situation. They are
not treating the question candidly at
all. If they desire to be understood
that q democratic president in Ar.
thurs place would have signed the
Chinese Bill for the purpose of man.
ufacturing democratic campaign
tbunder--forgetting or ignoring his
higher duty in preserving the honor
of the nation--,hen they are simply
proclaiming themselves unfit to rule
these United States. For newspa.
pers, aiming to lead and mould pub
lie sentiment, to openly deplore the
fainre Of president to show him.
self moved by low, partizan motives
we deem it high time to call halt.