Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-02
CLEVELAND ON THE CHINESE.
The President Signs the Bill and
Sends a Message.
EXCLUSION THE ONLY REMEDY.
Those Who Traffic in Mongol Labor
Held Responsible For the lnop-
erative Condition of Ex-
isting Treaties.

President Cleveland announced his approval
of it, He said 'The experiment of blend
ing the social habits and mutual race lido
syncracies of the Chinese laborng classes
with those of the great body of the people of
the United States has been proven by an ex-
perience of twenty years, and ever
since the Burlingame treaty of 1858,
to be in every way failure. The
governments of the respective countries
have resolved TO modify and sufficiently alb
rogate all these features of prior conven-
tional arrangements which permitted the
coming of Chinese laborers into the United
States. In the modification of prior conven-
tions the treaty of November II, 1850, was
concluded whereby. in the first article
thereof, it was agreed that the United States
should at will regulate, limit or suspend the
coming of Chinese laborcrs to the United
States, but not absolutely prohibit
it; and under this article the act
of congress approved May Z, 1882, and
amended July 5, 1884 suspended for ten years
the coming of Chinese laborers to the United
States, and regulating the coming and going
of such Chinese laborers as were at that time
in the United States. This view of the Chi
with that of the United States. was by my
direction speedily formulated in a
treaty drafted between the two nations,
embodying the propositions presented by the
Chinese foreign Office. Being submitted for
the advice and consent of the senate, its
confirmation last May was accompanied by
two amendments which that body
engrafted upon it. On the 18th
day of the same month the Chinese
minister, who was the plenipotentiary of his
government in the negotiation and conclu-
sion of the treaty, in note to the secretary
of state, gave his approval of these amend
ments and they were at once telcgraphed to
China, whittier the original treaty had pre-
al, hoo, rn,,t nft fto gtyrf,a attt.-l
March II.
"On the 18th day of last month approved
the senate bill to prohibit the coming of
Chinese laborers to the United States. The
bill was intended to supplement the treaty,
and was approved in confident anticipation
of an early exchange of ratiCatiOns of the
treaty and its amendments and a proclana
tion of the same, upon which the legis-
lation so approved was by its terms to take
effect. No information of any definite
action upon the treaty by the Chinese gov
ernment was received until the 2lst ultimo,
the day the bill which | have just approved
was presented to me, when telegram from
our minister at Pekin to the secretary of
state announced the refusal of the Chinese
government to exchange ratitications of the
treaty unless further discussion should be
had with u view to shorten the period stipu-
lated in the treaty for the exclusion of
Chinese laborers, and TO change the condi-
tions agreed upon.
1T was, however, soon made evident that
| the mercenary greed of the parties who were
| trading in the labor of this class of popula-
| ton was proving too strong for Just eXeCu-
| tion of the law, and that the virtual defeat
Cf the object and intent of both law and
treaty was being fraudulently accomplished
by false pretenses and perjury, contrary to
| the expressed wish and will of both govern
ments. Such demonstration of the inopera-
tive and inefficient condition of the treaty
| and law has produced deen seated and in
| creasing discomfort among the people of the
United States ana especially with those res
| ident on the Pacific coast. This had induced
| me to omit no effort to find an effectual rem
| edy for the evils complained of, and to an
swer the earnest and popular demand for an
absolute exclusion of Chinese laborers who
have objects and purposes unlike our own,
and who are wholly disconnected with Amer
lean citizenship.
1.-The necessity for a remedy has been fully
appreciated by that government and in Au-
| gust, 1856, our minister at Pekn received
from the Chinese foreign Office a communica-
| ton announcing that China, of her own ac-
cord proposed to establish system of strict
and absolute prohibition of her labOrerS un-
| der heavy penalties from coming to the
| United States, and likewise to prohibit the
return to the United States of any Chinese
| laborer who shall at any time have gone back
! to China, in order, in the words of the com
mUnicatlon, that Chinese laborers may be
| gradually reduced in number, and the causes
| of danger averted and lives preserved 1t
| might go back to China to return again to
| the United States.
| "In a note from the charge d'affairs ad in
| terim of China to the secretary of state, re
ceiYed on the 25th ultimo, third amendment
| is proposed, whereby a certificate, under
| which any departing Chinese laborer alleging
! the possession of property in the United
| States would be enabled to return to this
| country, should be granted by the Chinese
| consul instead of the United States collector,
/ as had been provided by the treaty. The OBJ
| vious and necessary effect of the last propo-
| sitiOn would be practically to place the exc
| cution of the treaty beyond the control of the
| United States. Article ! of the treaty, pro
| posed to be so materially altered, had in the
| course OF negotiations been settled in
| acquescence with the request OF
the Chinese plcnipotentiary and tC
his expressed satisfaction, Article was
| wholly Of Chinese origin, and to that alone
| owes its presence in the treaty. The admit
ted and paramount right and duty of every
| government to exclude from its borders al
| elements of foreign population which for any
| reason retard its prosperity or are detrimental
| to,the moral and physical health of ITS people
| must be regarded as recognized canon OF
| international law and intercourse. Chin;
herself has not descended from this doctrine
| but has, by the expressions to which have
| referred, led us confidently to rely upon suct
action on her part in co. operation with us az
| would enforce the exclusion of Chinese la
borers from our country, This cooperation
| has not, however, been accorded US
! "Thus from the unexpected and disappOint
ing refusal of the Chinese government Il
confirm the acts of its authorized agent ant
to carry into effect an international agree
ment, the main feature of which was vOlun
tarily presented by that government for oul
acceptance, and which has been the subjcc
of long and careful deliberation, the emcr
gency has arisen in which the government o
the United States is called upon to act il
self-defense by the exercise of its Legislative
powers.
"The facts and circumstances which hav,
narrated lead me in the performance o
what seems to be my official duty, to JOIN
congress in dealing legislatvely with the
question of the exclusion ofChinese labOrers
in lieu OF further attempts TO adjust it by al
| international agreement"
| In the course of his message the presiden
| recommends that congress, by joint resolu
tion, or in some other manner, provide tina
| such Chinese labOrers as have actually EN-
barked on their return before the passage o
this bill may be permitted to land. He als
recommends the appropriation of the amour
| named in the rejected treaty to indCmnif,
| certain Chinese subjects for damages suf
| fered through violence in the remote an,
! comparatively unsettled portions Of III
United States,
Killed by the Cars.
ST. JOSEPH, Mo-, Oct Especial Tee