The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-04-20
THE CHINESE QUESTION.

Dor may be needed in another section
As the Pacific States and Territories are
OYerTun by this cheap form of serVile
labor, this is equivalent TO a declara-
tiOn that it should be tTansplanted to
other States and spread over the cOun-
try.-[Democrat.
To which the Repository thus re-
spends:
The Democrat does not do President
Arthur the justice to quote him cor
rectly. What he did say in his veto
message was this:
There may, however. be other Sec
tiOns of the country where this species
of labor might be advantageOusly em-
plOyed without interfering with the
labOrers of our own race.
This he said after mentioning how
this class of Chinese labor had been en-
plOyed on the Pacific Coast in work
profitable alike to the capitalist and
labOrer of Caucasian origin" and often
work which there was not sufficient
white labor to perform, and in places
and of kind which the white Ameri-
can labOrer does not seek for.
Could there be any objection to the
employment of Chinese labor in work
of the same kind necessary to the de-
VI LnC N1ou ACoOuACOO VI lll1o
country, where it could be done with
out interfering with the labOrers of
our own race?"
But the Democrat curiOusly claims
that this expression in President Ar
thur veto message is the exact cOun-
terpart of the forged MOTey letter, pre-
sumed to be the product of the unscru-
pulOus National Democratic Committee
in the Presidential campaign of 1880.
The sentence which contained the ex-
act point of that forged letter was the
following:
We have a treaty with the Chinese
ly kept until it's provisions are abrO-
gated by the action of the general gov
ernment, and am not prepared to say
that it should be abrOgated until our
great manufacturing interests are con-
served in the matter of labor.
That is just what President Arthur
does not say in his veto. He says just
the contrary, as we have quoted above.
But the above was merely a casual ref
erence in the veto message. The real
ground upon which the veto rests, Is
that the anti-Chinese bill amounted to
a substantial prohibition of such immi-
twenty years, and therefore clear viO-
lation of treaty which provides in
distinct terms that such immigration
shall be suspended only for reasOna-
BILE time.
There is apparently no dispute as to
the necessity of the regulation and
even suspension of Chinese immigTa-
tiOn. The Republican press through
out the country recognizes the wisdom
of such regulation.
The Republican party, however, is in
favor of maintaining the honor of this
Nation as pledged in solemn treaties,
while the Democratic party is willing,
at the nod of irresponsible demagOgues,
and for partisan purposes, to violate
these sacred obligations with impunity
and exhibit this Nation to the world as
one having no regard for its own
pledges and promises and devoid of all
sense of honor.
1t is worthy of note that the Califor-
mia members of Congress are now try
ing to do what they ought to have done
in the beginning; they are preparing a
bill sufficient in its scope to remove the
evils of Chinese immigration, by regu-
lating and reasonably suspending it,
and which will accomplish all that the
people of the Pacific Slope ought to ask,
and at the same time be fairly within
the provisions of existing treaties.
We gladly copy the Repository arti-
Gle on the Chinese question almost en-
tire in order to put the Mckinley Chi
nese organ on record.
So the Repository and "the Republi-
"can party favor maintaining the honor
"Of this nation as pledged in solemn
treaties" President Arthur, too, wants
''the treaty with the Chinese govern
'ment TeligiOusly kept until its prOvis-
'iOns are abrOgated by the action of the
general government" The Repository
seems to claim that Congress has not
power to legislate for the protection of
American citizens; and President Ar
thur vetOes the action of Congress even
when backed by the overwhelming SEN
timent of the American people and of
Congress. AS usual the Republican
party disregard the sentiment of the
people and care nothing for the rights
of American labOreTs.
Is the Repository aware that Con-
gresham Mckinley voted for the anti
Chinese bill that Arthur vetoed? Is
our Chinese neighbOr aware, that in the
House, Republican body, the vote was
over two to one? But "the Republican
"party favOrs maintaining the "hOnOr of
"the Nation as pledged in solemn
treaties" In his vote for the bill-did
obey irresponsible dema-
gOgues?" Did Edmunds and the other
voting for the measureP
Did Mckinley and these others vote
against maintaining the honor of the
nation as maintained in solemn
"treatiesP" Let one of :the numerous
editors answer.
We quoted President Arthur substan-
TALLY; as favOring the diffusion of the
Chinese, and the extract as given in the
Rep. corrobOrates, and its extract from
the Morey letter urges the same idea.
1t is singular that those arrested,
charged with "that forged letter" have
never been triedl 1t is also curious
that the course of the Republican party
now is in accordance with the views
expressed in that letter. ALI this shows
the tortuosities of the Republican party.
Though they had Jefferson Davis pris-
oner, they let him out on bail and have
navar orivan him q triali Great MARTY