Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-15
CLEVELAND AND THE SCOTT BILL

his Cabinet concocted that measure, and
the measure is as effective as is hoped FOR
By the people Of the Pacific coast gener-
ally, what apology have the Democrats for
Mr. Cleyeland's indifference during The en-
tire course of his administration to the
Chinese evil, complaint of which has
reached his ears through so many sources?
The entire claim of the Democratic party
presents Mr. Cleveland in the light OF d
hypocriticsl pretencer, for If the Scott bill
IS judicious measure; if it is consistent
with treaty obligations; if it is consiitu-
| Jional; if, in short, it should be passed
now, why was it not proposed and passed
at an earlier date? After nearly four years
of administration, characterized by the
most indifferent inactivity, By supineness
on the subject of the Chinese question, and
at the same time by professions of sympa-
! thy with the demands of the Pacific coast
| Cleveland receives the denomination for The
| Presidency, and On the very eve of election
| he proposes an effective measure which
measure it was competent at any past time
for Congress to have passed. Then his
sudden interestin the question is due solely
10 his interest in Cleveland, aud not in the
subject under consideration, or in the peo-
pie Of the Pacific coast. He withholds
from them, during his entire administra-
tioA, I remedy which they have loudly
demanded for crying evil, and on the
very eve Of his hoped-fOr reelection he of
fers relief-not because he is opposed to The
Chinese; not because he is interested in the
people of the Pacihc coast, but because he
is interested q C!erelaod, au5 7~an.s a re-
election.
Moreover, i IS claimed here by the
Chairman of the Democratic State Central
Committee of that party that the Scott
bill was drawn in San Francisco and sent
to Cleveland. II this claim is tenable, the
gentlemen of the committee present them
selves in most contemplate aspect Why
was this not done one year, two years,
three years ago? Simply because they
were indifferent on the subject. As soon
as it is believed that an effective anti
Chinese measure viii secure the election of
a Democratic President, or contribute
| largely to such election, the Democratic
leaders of San Francisco have the measure
at hand. What have they been doing all
these years that this measure was not
forthcoming sooner? Mr. English and
| the whole phalanx of the Democratic
State Central Committee are proving con-
clusively by their pretended claims to the
authorship of the Scott bill, that that bill
| was introduced and passed not because
they loved the Chinaman less, but because
they loved the success of the Democratic
ticket more.
Their true status in this mater is not fal
to seek. Readjlst the circumstances Jua
slightly. make it contribute to the success of tn.
party and the election Of lh. Cleveland to hdUt
a bill passed admitting the Chinese, and Mr.
English and the other Democratic man
ayers would have cheerfully drafted tht
measure. There is no escaping the logic o
their own statement in this matter. They
have had control of the Government for
full Executive term. On the cue of electio,
they propose measure 1Ulich IL 1rdS conape
tent for them TO haze proposed and passed a
any period during the history Of THIS 1dmi,
tstrGtion. They 90 so far as to admit tha
the proposition originated with the Califor
MIA State Central Committee of the Demo
cratic party, and was forwarded from Sai
Francisco to Washington, with the urgen
representation that its passage would pro
mote the casting Of Californias electors
vote for Cleveland whereupon the Demo
cratic House Of Representatives passes th
bill, not because they could not have passe
it sooner, not because it desires honestly t
afford relief from the crying evil, but be
cause it is playing game of political chess
and 1t thinks that tie passage of an effect
i've anti-Chinese bill will contribute to ii
success. The underlying truth of th
aud Democrats contributed to the passag
of that bill, and its passage through th
Senate was due wholly to the weiI-directe
efforts of Hon. William NJ. Stewart an,
Hon. John P. jones, and more especiall
the former. 1t may in truth be said that
the State Of Nevada had not been repre-
sented in the Senate by that veteran legis
lator, William n. Stewart. the Chinese bi
would not have been law to-day. Th
people of the Pacific States owe TO RepuE
lican Senator the passage of the Scott bill
But admitting the claim of the Demo
Gratis as to the authorship and adoption {
the measure, and the admission brands th
whole party from Mr.. Clevereud dow
with the most arrant hypocrisy, with tn
most puerile pretense to having arisen to th
plane of craftsmanship and passed a grea
measure for n statesmanIike reason. a,
cording TO their professions, according I
their claims, they are not at liberty to prC
fess any statesmanlike reason for th
passage of the Scott bill. The people {
California may be congratulated upon i
passage, but they owe Mr.. Cleveland n
debt of gratitude. They owe him the u
most condemnation that the measure
. claims now to have passed by Executive il
fuence was not passed long ago. The
9 may justly claim that the selfish end j
view-his own e-election-prompted b
action.