The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-09-05
The Chinese Question a Very Live One.

The Chinese Question a Very Live One.
The Chinese question, which the Har-
sonites have been assuring us was dead
question:" has suddenly become very
'1ive question" The Chinese govern
ment has refused to ratify the exclusion
treaty recently negotiated on account OF
the senate amendments. AS originally
draughted it was satisfactory to the
Chinese government, and would have
proved adequate to the ends desired, be-
cause it conceded the power OF congress
to adopt any legislation required for the
exclusion of the Chinese. But the senate
refused to ratify the treaty because it was
negotiated by democratic administra-
ton; it was afraid to tempt popular in
dignation, especially on the Pacific slope,
by rel, cling it; so it loaded it down with
needless amendments which, as stated,
have caused the rejection of the treaty by
China This will bring the whole
question before congress, and immediate
action of some kind will be imperatively
demanded by the people.
The revival of this question just at this
time, is particularly unfortunate for BEN
HARRISON 1t is unfortunate for him that
anything should occur TO fasten public at
tention upon a subject as to which his
record is, as Senator INGALLS, put it, so
very Awkward" 1t is unfortunate for
him that anything should occur to call at
tention to the fact that illegally natural
lied Cinnamon here in indianapolis
helped to elect him to the q. S. senate in
1880, and that in the senate he repaid
them for their support by fourteen pro-
Chinese votes, all but one of them being
against the restriction of Chinese immigra-
lion, and that one being against a section
prohibiting the naturalization OF China
men. But the most unfortunate thing of
all for Ben HARRISON is that the
matter will now come before congress in
the most embarrassing form possible.
The alternative presented to congress is
that of adopting legislation contrary to
the terms of the existing treaty, or of
taking no action whatever. Ever
since Ben HARRIsoN's nomination the
republican papers and politicians have
been defending his pro-Chinese record
upon the ground that he voted against
restrictive legislation because he thought
it "conficted with the treaty" Of course
Ben HARRISON never, in the senate or
elsewhere, put his opposition on this
ground; but he has sanctioned the
apology made for him as an $terthougnt,
adopted it as his own, and the country
has been asked TO forgive him upon this
ground alone. And now his partisans
in congress must either empha-
size the utter worthlessness and
insincerity of this defense by
taking action wholly inconsistent
with it, or they must oppose any action
at all on the subject, and thus put them
selves in as strong a pro-Chinese attitude
as HARRISON himself held only half doz-
en- years ago. No political party in this
country was ever put in such an embar
RAISING predicament as this only sixty
days before a presidential election.
And then to think that this same party
is also loaded down with the fisheries
business, in which it has firm grip upon
the "hot end OF the poker" What with
these troubles, and its entanglements
with the tariff and trust questions, its
dilemma is certainly most distressing.
OF course there is no doubt and never
has been OF the full power of congress to
pass any law it may see fit, not repug
nant to the constitution, utterly regard
less OF any treaty whatsoever. When it
is the last expression of the law-making
power, an act of congress supersedes
treaty in so far as it conflicts with it. This
is in accordance with a principle well
settled by numerous adiudications, as it
was when Ben HARRIsoN was voting for
the Chinese in the U. s. senate. Con-
gress will probably pass strong Chinese
restriction law before adjournment, which
will leave BEN HARRISON in most pain
full position. But there seems to be no
1 ha1f Tor