Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-05
THE CHINESE BILL AND PARTY Re-
sPONSIBILITY.
Ihe San Francisco Egaminer says:

sPONSIBILITY.
the San Francisco Examiner says:
The Democratic party has promptly responded
10 the appeal OF the Pacific coast. The news of
the rejection of the Chinese treaty is not yet
officially confirmed, but without waiting for any
thing more than the bare telegraphic report,
1r. Scott, the representative of the adminisrra-
tion In the House, introduced a bill short,
pointed and perfect, the House passed II through
al les stages and II went 10 the Senate the same
day.
This is decidedly refreshing. Prompt
lyr' Yet the Pacific coast delegation has
for over three years been laboring to
se-nre necessary restrictive legislation and
the aid of the administration to that end,
but without avail. The constant reply
was that there must be no legislation in
contrayention of the existing treaties
Yet now We have the administration itself
seeking to steal march upon the Pacific
coast Representatives for political effect
proposing a measure of precisely the
character to which it made such strenuou:
opposition so recently.
II the Democratic party has been at ans
time unite for the exclusion of Chinese
why when it had control Of both house:
of the Forty-sixth Congress did it not pas,
a measure such as the need demanded
Representative Page at that time intro
duced bill for the purpose of af1ording
relief, but it was not acted upon by either
house. For two years it had absolute
control Of the national legislature, but did
practically nothing The treaty with
China was negotiated in the latter
part of the year 1880, when Congress was
Democratic, having seven majority in the
Senate. Legislation was necessary to pre-
vent evasion of the spirit of the treaty,
but though the Democrats controlled both
houses for two years-until 1SS2-no legis-
lation was attempted.
When the Fair restriction bill passed
the Senate, for which General Harrison
voted, that body was Republican by q
small majority. The House was Demo.
cratic by great preponderance, and per.
mitted its Committee on Foreign Rela.
lions to pocket the bill, despite the de.
mand of the California Representatives tc
have it reported and taken up. The plea
then was the same so recently advanced
by Mr.. Cleveland's administration-th i
would not do to legislate in coutraven
ton Of treaty, or in a manner tina
might be construed as antagonistic to it
spirit.
The truth is, that there was for years IL,
unity among the members of either part,
upon this question of restriction. Tn,
people of the great East had not come t,
understand it as it was understood upor
the Pacific coast They very largel,
laoked upon it as did Mr.. Cleveland wher
he ssked if the Chinese could not be Chris
tianized and made good citizens. Leadin,
men in both of the great political partie
at the East held to views upon the oues
ton that were opposed to the Californi;
sentiment and experience. It has take,
nearly two decades of time to enlightel
the East upon the question sufficiently t,
command for Pacific coast petition
even respectful hearing. 1t is no
for either Republicans or Democrats t,
claim all the virtue, nor for either t,
charge the other with all the sins of tn,
situation. That relief promised and likel,
to be now afforded is enough for th,
people on this side of the country. Bu
when one party assumes to be the only on,
that has contributed to restrictive move
ments IN Congress, the claim cannot b,
sum orted, nor will the history of legisla
tion maintain the claim that either party
has alone thrown obstacles in the way 0
legislation to exclude the on-sssimilativ,
Chinese laborers and artisans.
Nevertheless the attempt Of the admin
istration to make Democratic campaign
capital by its sudden and wholly unex
pected manifestation of solicitude in behal
of an exclusion policy, testifes to a politi
cal anxiety that confesses the neglect anC
lneomRetency of the party in the past tc
afford the relief demanded.