The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-27
THE SENATE.
ienator Mitchell the Chinese Question
MIR. Allison Favors the Blair Bill,

THE SENATE.
ienator Mitchell the Chinese Question
Mr. Allison Favors the Blair Bill,
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-After the transaction
of routine business Mr.. Mitchell, of Oregon. OBJ.
tanned the floor to deliver speech the bill re-
Gently introduced by him to provide for the alb
rogation of all treaties permitting the immigra-
ton of Chinese to the United States AS Mr.
Mitchell was about to proceed, Mr.. Hale said it
was SO late yesterday when Mr. George com
pleted his speech on the education bill that he
mir Hale1 had not thought it worth while then
to interfere with the consideration OF the bill
named. but now gave notice that today, on the
completion of Mr.. Mitchelrs remarks, he would
move that the Senate proceed to the considera-
ton of executive business.
Mr. Mitchell then addressed the Senate He
said the people of the whole Pacific coast were
to-day. suffering from the presence of large num-
bers of unclean. n-assmiating and pagan
races Impending over them and gradually ex
tending eastward, like cloud of wrath. the evil
imperiled labor, prosperity, peace, even
life itself. To eradicate the scourge
heroic treatment would be necessary
A more decided and aggressive governmental
step than had yet been taken would be neces-
Sary. ln6 means OIL rellel COulQ not properly De
availed of while preserving the present treaty
stpulations with the Chinese government.
Neither could we expect, within any reasonable
time. to secure relief by negotiation with that
government Hence it was that the bill sub
mitted by him Mr.. MITCHELL proposed that the
States and people Of this Republic through Con
gress and through executive approval. or by
twothirds vote, without the approval of the exec
utive should remove the distractions. Mr..
Mitchell argued at length to show that the
TTuito Sfafa has hn IN ohrnp "a hxya
of Congress. treaty with foreign nation, and
that the magnitude of the evil to he remedied
justified the measure he proposed. He read a
number OF newspaper articles to show that the
recent auti- Chinese disturbances in the West
were not the work of an irresponsible hood
auin element They were the voice of honset
labor The Burlingame treaty he said, WAS
valueless to the United States. This point the
speaker enlarged upon in detail quoiing
in support of his contention. Mr..
Mitchell in conclusion, said: This bill, unlike
our restriction acts and proposed acts, is not
elastic 1t is absolutely iron-clad; it leaves
nothing to construction; it is conclusive. It is
not open to the objection of being liable to have
its vitality slapped or its efficiency INSTRUCTED by
judicial decisions. No delicate questions as
% conflict between act and treaty are left open
,r construction or determination by either court
department. The conflict that is waged on
rs sabject-of the Asatic control of this coun-
lv--is as irrepressible as the conflict that re-
suited ia the overthrow Of human slavery. 1t is
conflict for supremacy on American soil be-
tween enlightened and honest American labor
and the cheap and degraded labor of the lowest
order of the Mengol; conflict between morality
and vice, order and anarchy, Americanism and
Asianism; conflict between civilization and
heathenism, Christianity and Paganism; con-
hict between two opposing forces in all essential
particulars, on-assimiating and repellent when
considered in the relation of to the other; and
tie one or the other of which must, and will,
intimately and necessarily be driven to the wall.
Tt does not require any peculiar prescience to de-
+erInine the result of the contest, if the United
States government either stands supinely by and
does nothing, or, what is but little more effect
i've for good, simply attacks the advancing army
of invaders with wooden swords and paper bull
lets, under pretense of conforming to treaty
stipulations and sustaining diplomatic relations"
The education bill was then taken up, and Mr..
Allison made formal presentation of the amend
1nent suggested by him yesterday, to the effect
that where separate white and colored schools
existed the money should be paid out for the
support of such white and colored schools Sin
the proportion that the illiteracy of the white
and coiored persons aforesaid bear to each other.
as shown by the census Mr.. Allison said the
amendment placed the bill strictly on the basis
of iliteracy He inquired whether Democratic
Senators, whose race had oppressed the colored
ace for two hundred years. would be willing to
AXE from one-third to one half the money of the
bill2 Was ie possible that the white race, with
sent that the poverty-stricken colored race
s'hould have as much Of this money as their
illiteracy fairly entitled them TOT Even with all
Che money voted by the BILL there would be many
children who would get no education at all; and
since there was to be scramble for this money,
as we'll as for the money raised for education by
by taxation in the several States. Mr..
Allison insisted that, as to the scramble
we should see to it that the people
who are illiterate, and whom we propose
TO aid, should have their share Of this money
IL was for this purpose that he had introduced
his amendment. The white children Mr. ALI
son said, had the advantage of educated associa-
tions; the colored children had not Yet we were
asked to give dollar for dollar to both races. on
an exact equality, oae being already edu-
ated and having the start of the other by thou
lands Of years of intellectual training and in q
case in which the State already makes distinc-
lion by a separation Of schools By every con-
sideration OF law, and reason, and justice, the
South was bound TO educate its colored people.
For hundreds of years the white people there
had lad the labor Of these people, and their faith
ers had made them slaves. Could they say that
ii was not their duty now to educate thsms Mr..
Allison was willing TO respect the constitutional
scruples Of the Southern Senators Ia the matter
or the general government not following this
monsy into the States. but the application Of the
money should DO made so as to cover the Hitter
etes, no matter Of what rsce or coler. The sta
tisties showed that otherwise we were merely