The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-10-12
THE GATES CLOSED.
The President Signs the Chinese
Exclusion Bill
He Reviews the Negotiations and How ths
Treaty Came to Ne ReJected-Rec.
concentrations ~ to Return
ing Cinnamon.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-The President
sent the following message to Congress to-
lay:
] have this day approved House bill No.
u, 335. supp es&entary to an act entitled An act
70 execute certain treaty stipulatlons relating
% the Chint Sc" approved May 8, 1882.
It seems to me that some suggestions and
recommendations Tuay properly accompany my
approval Of this hill. Its object is to more
efiectually accomplish By legislation the ex-
clusion from this country Of Chinese laborers
The experiment OF blending the special
habits and mutual race idiosyucracies
Of the Chinese laboring class with
those Of the great body Of the people Of the
United States has been proved by the expe-
rience Of twenty years. and ever since the Bur
lingame treaty Of 1868, to be in every sense un-
wise, impolitic and injurious to both nations.
With the lapse Of time the necessity for its
abandonment has grown in force. until those
having in charge the government of the re-
spective countries have resolved to modify and
sufficiently abrogate ell those features Of prior
conventional arrangements which permitted
the coming OF Chinese laborers to the United
States.
In the modification Of prior conventions the
treaty of November II, 1880, was concluded,
whereby in the first article thereof. it was
agreed that the United States should Mt will.
Chinese laborers to the United States but not
absolutely prohibit; and under this article and
act OF Congress approved May 8. 1882, (see vol.
y, p 80. statutes at large) and amended July 5.
1884, (vol. %, p IL statutes at large) suspended
for ten years the coming OF Chinese laborers
to the United States and regulated the
going and coming of such Chinese laborers as
were ut that time in the United States. TWAS,
however. soon made evident that the mercenary
greed of the parties who were trading In the
labor Of that class Of the Chinese population,
was proving too strong for the just execution Of
the law, and that the virtual defeat Of the OBJ
Ject and intent of both law and treaty was being
fraudulently accomplished by false pretense
and perjury contrary to the expressed will Of
both Governments.
To such an extent has the successful violation
Of the treaty and the laws enacted for its exc
cution progressed that the courts in the Pacific
States have been for some time past over
whelmed By the examination OF cases OF Chinese
laborers who are charged Tith having entered
our ports under fraudulent certificates of re-
turn or seek to establish by perjury the claim Of
prior residence. Such demonstration OF the in
operative and inefficient condition Of the treaty
and law has produced deep seated and increas-
ing discomfort among the people Of the United
States and especially with those resident on the
Pacific coast. This has induced me to omit no
effort to find an efectual remedy for the evils
C implanted Of and to answer the earnest pop
ular demand for the absolute exclusion Of Chin
csc laborers having object and purposes unlike
Our own and wholly disconnected with Aver
can citizenship.
Aided by the presence in this country OF
able and INTELLIGENT diplomatic and consular
Officers Of the Chinese Government and the
representations made from time to time by our
Minister in China under the instructions of the
Department OF State, the actual condition Of
public sentiment and the status OF affairs in
the United States has been fully known to the
Government OF China. The necessity for
remedy has been fully appreciated by that
Government, and in August 1885 our Minister
at Pekin received from the Chinese Foreign
Office communication announcing that
China, OF her own accord, pro-
posed to establish q system OF strict and abso-
Lutte prohibition Of her laborers, under heavy
penalties from coming to the United States and
likewise to prohibit the return 10 the United
States OF any Chinese labo. er who had at any
time gone back TO China lin order lin the words
Of the communication) that the Chinese labor
ers may gradually be reduced in number and
causes of danger averted and lives preserved"
This view Of the Chinese Government, so
completely in harmony with that Of the
United States, was by my direction speedily
formulated in treaty draft between the two
Nations, embodying the propositions SO pre-
sented by the Chinese Foreign Office. The
deliberations, frequent oral discussions and
correspondence on the general questions that
~usued have been fully communicated by me to
the Senate at the present session and as con-
tanned in State executive document and Sen
ate executive documents may be properly re-
ferred to as containing complete history Of
the transaction. 1t is thus easy to learn how
the joint desires and unequivocal mutual un-
Of the two Governments were
brought into articulation form in the treaty, |
which. after a mutual exhibition of plenary |
powers from the respective Governments as
signed and concluded by the pleuipotentiaries
OF the United States and China at this capitol |
on March 12 last
Being submitted for the advice and consent |
Of the Senate It's confirmation, on the It'll day |
Of May last, was accompanied by two amend |
ments, which that body engrafted upon it. On
the twelfth day OF the same month the Chinese |
Minister, who was the plenipotentiary of his |
Government in the negotiation and conclusion /
Of the treaty, in note to the Secretary OF State,
gave his approval Of these amendments las they 4
did not alter the terms of the treaty. and the |
were at once telegraphed to China, |
whittier the original treaty had, previously |
been sent Immediately after its signature on |
March -
On the 18th day OF last month approved Sen
ate bill No. 33OI, to prohibit the coming of Chi
nese laborers to the United States. This bill |
was intended to supplement the treaty and was |
approved in the confident anticipation of an
early exchange Of notifications Of the treaty and
lis amendments and the proclamation OF the
same, upon which event the legislation so ap-
proved was by its terms to take effect.
No information Of any definite action upon
the treaty by the Chinese Government was re-
ceived until the 21st ultimo, the day the bill |
have just approved was presented to me, when
a telegram from our Minister at Pekin to the
Of State, announcing the refusal of
The Chinese Government to exchange ratif-
,ations OF the treaty unless further discussion
should be had with view to the period
stipulated in the treaty for the exclusion of
Chinese lsborers and to change the condi-
ions agreed on which should entitle any
Chinese iaborer who might go back to
Jhina &c return again to the United States. By
! note from the charge d'affaires ad interim OF
,hina TO the Secretary of State received on
he evening OF September a5 "a copy of which
S herewith transmitted together with the re-
,ly therefor third amendment is proposed
whereby tie certificate under which any de-
,arting Chinese laborer alleging the possession
4 property in the United States would be en-
bled to return 10 this country should be
,ranted by the Chinese Consul, instead OF by
he United State, collector as provided in the
reaty. The obvious and necessary effect Of
his last proposition would be practically to
place the execution Of the treaty beyond the
ontrol of the United States.
Article OF the treaty, proposed to be so ma
erially altered. had been so settled in acquies-
ence Of the Chinese plenipotentiary as to his
expressed satisfaction. In 1886. as appears In
be documents heretofore referred to, the Chin
Sc Foreign Once had formally proposed to our
iinister strict exclusion Of Chinese laborers
rom the United States without limitation and ,
ad otherwise and more definitely stated that
o term whatever for exclusion was necessary
Dr. the reason that China would of itself take
tops to prevent its laborers from coming to |
ne United States. In the course Of the nego- ! I
atoms that followed suggestions from the
anne quarter led to the insertion in behalf of