The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-09-15
REPUBLICANS AND CHINESE.

Another Chinese restriction bill
passed the House Of Represents
tives on the morning of the 4th inst.
1t is supplement to the Chinese
bill approved May 6, 1882, and pro-
vides that hereafter no Chinese
laborer shall return to the United
States after having departed there
from. The discussion of the bill
in the Senate on the same day oc-
casioned no little warfare between
the political parties, and Senator
George of Mississippi took occasion
to review the record of the republl-
can party on this important ques-
ton. The Burlingame treaty In
1868 practically opened the door
for Chinese immigration. The fifth
article of that. treaty read as follows !:
The United States of America and the
Emperor of CHINA cordially recognize
the inherent and inallenable right Ut mau
to change his home and allegiance, and
aiso the mutual advantage OF free navl-
CATION and immigration OF their citizens
and subjects respectively from the one
country Tor the purposes OF curiosity OF
trade or MS permanent residences.
That treaty was ratified by Sen
ate of which three-fourths of the
members belonged to the .republi-
can party.
again, in 1879, what party un-
dertook to close the door which
had just been made by the treaty
of 1868 for the admission of these
Chinese?' A bill to restrict Chi
nese grafton was voted for IN
the House by 1O1 democrats and
oI republicans and opposed by l6
democrats against 56 republicans.
In the Senate, ~ democrats and 3
republicans voted for it and s dem
ocrats and 20 republicans against
it. The bill then went to the other
end of the avenue and was vetoed
by the republican President, Mr..
Hayes. The question was next
brought before Congress on March
8, 1882, when "another effort was
made to close the door which the
republicans had made wide and
high and locked by the pledged
faith of the government, locked 1t
open mot locked it shut and fast
ened It," A bill was introduced in
the Senate to restrict Chinese i'm
migration and the vote for its pass
age was 80 democrats and s repub-
licans. Among those Senators who
opposed it's passage was HARRISON,
OF INDIANA! The bill was passed,
however, yet it also encountered a
little difficulty at the other end of
the avenue, says Senator George,
and that difficulty was the veto of
a republican president! In the
House of Representatives, it had
received the following vote: DEM
ocrats SO, republicans 81; nays,
democrats 4, republicans 62.
A bill was then introduced in the
House ard again the vote was taken
and lO3 democrats voted to restrict
Chinese Immigration, and 81 repub-
licans; 3 democrats and "a repub-
licans voted against it. 1t went to
the Senate and a discussion arose
over the following section:
SECTION Ia. That hereafter no State
Court and no Court of the United States
shall admit Chinese to citizenship, and all
laws in conflict with this Act are hereby
repealed.
An amendment to strike out this
section was voted for by l demo-
crat and % republicans, among
whom was HARRISON OF INDIANA
In favor of naturalizing Chinese
Ihirty-one democrats and 5 repub-
licans voted against the amendment.
SECTION Is. That the words "Chinese
laborers,' wherever the same occurs shall
be construed to mean both skilled and
unskllied laborers and Chinese employed
in mining.
A motion was made to strike out
that section. Had it stood, no
skilled as we'll as unskilled laborers
could come. 1t meant abolute re-
striction of Chinese laborers. Let
us see who preferred letting them
come: l democrat, independent
and 81 republicans, among whom
was Mr.. HARRISON OF INDIANA !!
Those opposed to striking out the
section were 20 democrats and 3
republicans. The bill finally got
through the Senate but met with
little difficulty at the other end of
the avenue. 1t was vetoed by re-
publican president. This was the
2O-year restriction act. Another
bill was introduced limiting the re-
striction to ten years. And yet
with that record the republicans
claim to be the friends of the Amer
lean laborer; the men who are now
very anxious to close the door
which they themselves had made
in 1868 and had written upon it
''To shut this door IS to violate the
inherent and inalienable right of a
Chinaman to become an American
citizen"
IT appears that the press of the