Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-16
THE NEW CHINESE TREATY.

The California public will wait for the
full text of the new Chinese treaty, which
goes to the President to-day, with much
anxiety. We are given brief outline of
its main provisions but so much depends,
in an important treaty, upon the interpret
alton of a single word or phrase that the
text must be studied before final judgment
can be passed upon it.
We know that there are four general
features in the treaty. First-The defini-
ton of what is a Chinese laborer the ex-
clusion of all such laborers with certain
limitations; the property qualification that
entities Chinese going from the United
States to return certificates Second-The
definition of merchant = the provision
for issuance of certificates to such by the
Chinese, Government, vised by the Ameri-
can Consul, permitting the holder to enter
the United States. Third-That the
claims of damages preferred by Chinese
mobbed at certain points in the United
States shall be adjudicated Fourth
That the treaty shall exist for twenty
years.
The weak points the synopsis of these
general provisions discovers, are first, the
permission given departing Chinese to
return who have 81, 900 worth of property
in the United States. To those familiar
with the cunning of the Chinese and their
Indifference to the binding force of oaths
administered by foreign devils" it is not
difficult to understand how easily they
will use this clause of the treaty
as means to the admission of
thousands of the lowest order of coolies in
the next twenty years 1t will be matter
of comparative ease for the Chinese leaders
to enable every departing Chinaman to
"prove" that he has the requisite financial
qualification for a return certificate, or that
he has family in this country. If under
this process there is any weakness on the
part of any Federal officer who determines
the form of certificates, or who issues them,
any number of Chinese can be admitted by
substitution. Unless there is kept the
strictest watch and ward, the certificate
business will be loosely conducted, and the
$1,000 qualification clause prove con-
venient gap for the immigration of coolies
There is a modifying provision, however,
to this section of the treaty that may
prove very useful in checking fraudulent
entries-a certificate to return may be
cancelled if the Government discovers that
the CAIN of qualification was falsely made
A second weak spot in the treaty is the
provision that the Chinese Government
may issue certificates to its subjects to
enter the United States, if they are mer-
chants and of the classes exempted from
exclusion, provided such certificates are
vised by American Consuls. Of course, if
all the Consuls prove invincible to tempta-
ton for the next two decades, less danger
from this quarter may be looked for, than
If Consuls are not susceptible 10
bribery. There can be, however, no
guarantee given against Consul weak in
Judgment and sensitively impressionable.
The Chinese know precisely how to cir
cumvent such men. If the treaty required
the Chinese to have photographed upon the
certificate itself the front-view portrait of
the merchant to whom it is issued, there
would be stronger assurance that these pa
pers will not be turned over to coolies to
gam entry in borrowed plumes
If the treaty is ratified, it must be the |
duty of California to see to it that Consuls |
are appointed to Chinese ports whose char
acter guarantees that the consular certifi-
Gates shall not prove open ports, through |
which Chinese emigration may continue.
\ provision of the treaty that is strong
is to the effect that writs of habeas corpus
shall not avail Chinese laborers prevented |
from landing in the United States, except |
upon single point, proof of the right to |
enter because of the property qualification,
and this proof must establish that it was |
time of departure that the claimant was
qualified by the possession of 81 900 worth !
of property. This clause will relieve the |
United States Courts of a class of business |
that has very nearly crowded all other |
matters out of those tribunals upon this |
coast, and practically debarred citizens
from availing themselves of these Courts in |
the ordinary business litigation of which |
they have jurisdiction.
According to the dispatches we are
graciously informed by the Chinese Minis |
ter that the treaty will remove all the OBJ |
jections TO the present restriction laws, |
and efectually put stop to Objectionable
Chinese immigration. We would much |
rather have this assurance from our own
Government, and our Senator's and Repre-
sentatives. Thus far they have not mani
Tested such confidence in the effectiveness
of the treaty as is felt by the Chinese
Minister. However, so far as now in
formed Of its text, the treaty viii work |
great improvement IN presen: conditions |
1t has several strong features, and it GER
tainly will render entry to the United |
States by Chinese more difficult than at |
prese If its provisions are clear and
unmistakable, and its spirit is maintained
by our officials abroad and by Federal
representatives in home ports, Chinese ex
clusion viii be among the early possibili
ties, and prior to the expiration of the
treaty Chinese domestics and other workers
will be almost wholly displaced in Ameri-
can homes and industrial fields by better
and more desirable class of labor
ORGANIZING THE PARTY CLUBS.
The Republican State Central Commit