Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-03-12
President Cleveland


Approved, January 25, 1856.
President Cleveland
De mes his Position on tho Chinese
QuestiOn and Shows thai matters
nave in somt respects been misrepre-
sented TO Him.
WASHINGTON, March 2.-The Presi-
dent to-day sent the following mes
sage to Congress:
To the Sendie and House of Repres-
entatires:-It is made the consti.
tutional duty of the President to re-
commend to the consideration of
Congress, from time to time, such
matters as he may judge necessary
and expedient. In no matter can the
necessity of this be more evident
than when the good faith of the
United States under the solemn OBJ
legation of treaties with foreign pow
ers Is concerned. The question Of
the treatment of subjects of China
sojourning within the jurisdiction of
the United States, presents such O
matter for the urgent and earnest
consideration of the Executive and
Congress. In my first annual mes
sage upon the assembling of Con-
gress, 1 adverted to this question in
the following language:
"The harmony of our relation
with China is fully sustained in the
application of the acts lately passed
to execute the treaty of 1850 restric-
tive of the immigration of Chinese
laborers into the United States. In
dividual cases of hardship have oc-
Cured beyond the power of the Ex-
ecutive to remedy, and calling for
judicial determination. The con-
dition of the Chinese question in the
Western States and Territories is.
despite this restrictive legislation,
far from being satisfactory. The re-
cent outbreak in Wyoming Territory,
where q number of unoffending
Cinnamon indisputably within the
protection of the treaties and the law,
were murdered by a mob, and the
still M ore recent threatened outbreak
of the same character in Washington
Territory, are still fresh in the minds
of all, and there is apprehension lest
the bitterness of feeling against tho
Mongolian race on the Pacific Slope
may find vent in similar lawless de-
monstrations. All the powers OF
this Government should be exerted
to maintain the amplest good faith
toward China in the treatment of
these men, and the inflexible stern.
ness of the law in bringing the wrong
doers to justice should be insisted
upon. Every effort has been made
by this Government to prevent these
violent outbreaks, and to aid the
representatives of China in their in
vestigation of these outrages, and it is
but just to say that they are trace
able to the lawlessness of men not
citizens of the United States, en-
gagged in competition with Chinese
laborers. Race prejudice is the chief
factor in originating these distur-
Dances, and it exists in large part
of our domain, jeopardizing our
peace and the good relationship we
try to bear to China. The admitted
right of a government to prevent
the influx of elements hostile to the
internal peace and security, may not
be questioned, even where there is
no treaty stipulation on the subject.
That the exclusion OF Chinese labor
is demanded in other countries,
where like conditions prevail, is
stongly evidenced in the Dominion
of Canada, where Chinese immigra.
ton is now regulated by laws more
exclusive than our own. If existing
laws are inadequate to compass the
end in view, l shall be prepared to
give earnest consideration TO any
further remedial measures within
the treaty limits. which the wisdom
Of Congress may devise"
At the time 1 wrote this, the
shocking occurrences at Rock Spring,
in Wyoming Territory, we've fresh
in the minds of all and have recently
been presented anew to the atten
ton of this Government by the
Chinese Minister in a note, which
though not unnaturally exhibiting
some misconception Of our general
system of administration in the
Territories while they as yet are
Lot in the exercise of the full meas.
ure of that sovereign self-govern-
ment pertaining to States of the
Union, presents in truthful terms