The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-17
The Troublesome Chinese.

The Chinese restriction bill, lately passed
by Congress, promises to be the cause of
considerable ANNOYANCE to our government.
Il was passed hurriedly, and without the
careful consideration which its Importance
! demanded. Both political parties were
anxious to prove their opposition to Chinese
immigration, and neither cared to raise Cd
.jections which, in the present state of the
public mind, mig It be construed to the dis
a vantage of the other.
Tae President. when the bill reached him,
saw that it omitted to provide for two
things, and in u message to congress he
called attention to them and suggested
additional legislation. One was the failure
to provide for the payment of the S275,OOJ
which this government had agreed to pay
to ertain Cinnamon who had suffered
serious injury at tie hands of mob in one
Of the territories, and the other was the
failure to make any provision for the
entrance into this country of Chinese who
were visiting China, and holding certlf-
Gates showing that they were residents of
this country, or who might be on the sea
bound for some one of our ports at the time
of the passage of the restriction bill
Congress has taken no action on either of
these suggestions of the President, and there
is no probability that it will at this session.
Already several hundred Cinnamon have
arrived at San Francisco holding certificates
of admission under previous law, and it is
said that there are between GOO and 700
more on their way here. None Ct those
of the law shutting them out
of the country until they reached
that port, and none of those now on the
ocean know of it. There are about $4,000
in China who hold certificates showing their
residence in this country, and that they
went back to China with the intention of
returning to this country. Doubtless many
of them have property interests here, and
if they are not permitted to return and look
after them, they will suffer great loss
The United States court in San Fran
CISCO according to our dispatches yester-
day, has decided that tie restriction law is
absolute, and that no Chinaman can enter
the country even though he holds a certifi-
cate under previous law which permitted
him to return. That law was repealed by
the restriction law, and there is no lawful
way now in which Chinaman can get into
the country.
1t will hardly be denied that this country
has not dealt fairly with those Cinnamon
who left this country with the under
standing that they would be per-
mitted to return, or that China has very
good grounds.for complaint against this gov
eminent. Neither will it be doubted that if
this country had been dealing with the sub
jects of powerful European nation, it would
not have acted so hastily and unjustly.
This government certainly does not appear
in favorable light in this matter. Congress
should have acted promptly upon the Presi-
dents suggestions.
1t is right and proper that immigration
from China should be prevented, because
the Chinese will never assimilate with the
people of this country, and homogeneous
population is necessary to the prosperity
and success of the republic, but there was
no occasion for INJECTING a grave wrong
upon the subjects of a friendly power. In
deed, it is safe to say that such sweeping
restriction law would not have been passed
if China were in condition to protect her
subjects in their rights.
What ought to have been done
is this: All Cinnamon holding
certificates showing that they left the coun-
try with the understanding that they would
be permitted to return, should have been
given a certain time in which to return. If
it were thought wise not to permit them to
remain after returning, the law should have
provided for their leaving the country, a
reasonable time being given them to settle
their business affairs.
This country has large aud prof able
trade with China, and it is not at all i'm
probable that this hastily enacted restric-
ton bill will greatly interfere with it.
China has not been dealt with fairly and
it is but natural that she should show some
resentment.