New-York tribune., 1888-08-27
THE ADM1yIsrRA 7loN AND THE CHINESE

Some of the Democratic papers persist In the
endeavor to make party capital out OF tho CHI
nese immigration question as against the Re
pubicans. They would be wise to drop it, be-
cause the more the matter is discussed the
moro clearly will It appear that the Admins
tration blundered sadly in handling this sub
ject. The treaty. which was negotiated after
three years delay and submitted to the Senate
with a flourish, contained provisions which
would have left the door wide open to the in
Aux of Chinese 1t prohibited the coming OF
Chinese laborers to the United States during
period of twenty years, but said nothing re-
garding the coming back Of Chinese laborers
who have left the United States with return
certificates. This was precisely the point at
which the greatest dangers and abuses arose
under the former treaty. These certificates
were sold in large numbers in China, and the
difficulty Of distinguishing between Mongolians
made their transfer easy. Then. too where
Chinese laborer claimed to have lost his GER
tifcate he was allowed to enter on proof that
he had had one. In both cases Chinese per-
fury was too much for American law, and the
immigrants were sworn through in shoals. 1t
Is OBVIOUS tndt tn1S COuiu udfO BohO oh iOi -
long period under the treaty as negotiated.
The Senate however made two amendments,
one prohibiting the return of Chinese laborers
who are not now in the United States, whether
holding certificates under existing laws or not ;
and the other providing that no Chinese la
borer, of the class permitted to return under
the new treaty, viz: those having lawiul
wives, children or parents In the United States,
or property therein of the value Of 81 900, or
debts of like amount due and pending settle
ment, shall be permitted to enter the United
States by land or sea without producing to the
proper officer of the customs the return Ger
tifcate required. In other words after the
treaty, as amended by the Senate. has been
ratified, even such Chinese laborers as have
left the country with certificates will not be
permitted to return except under the conditions
named and oral testimony will not be accepted
IN lieu Of certificate. BY an inadyertence,
the bill passed to put the provisions Of the
treaty in force, Immediately upon It's ratifica-
ton, repealed the former restriction laws from
the date Of its passage, without allowing for the
time it would take to get the assent OF the
Chinese Government to the Senate amend
ments to the treaty. This error was at once
detected, and Mr.. Morrow, Republican MEM
Der of the House, was ready with an amend
ment making the repeating clause take effect
upon the ratification of the treaty. The Demo-
Gratis delayed action upon this in the hope Of
getting some small shred of party capital out
of the Chinese question. but it was finally
adopted, and the bill passed the House without
division.
Senator Stewart, Of Nevada, showed the
other day that 1t was the amendment OF Mr..
Conness, a Republican Senator, to the Burlin-
gamo Treaty which prevented the naturaliza-
ton OF Chinese. II this amendment had not
been adopted, Senator Stewart says and no
doubt truly, "the Chinese question would be
to-day one Of the most momentous questions
ever presented to the American people" Once
armed with votes, the Chinese would have be-
come a powerful element. Politicians would
have truclsled to them. Their exclusion would
have been almost an impossibiity. and their
presence might easily have become National,
instead of local, scourge