The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-09-14
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS
The Senate Discusses Chinese Exclusion,
and Agrees to Take a Vote To-Day.
nterstate-Commerce Law, and Spends the
Rest of the Time Talking Politics.

Mr.. Allison, Mr. Beck was excused from service,
on account of illness, on the conference COM
mittee of the sundry civil appropriation bill.
and Mr.. CocKrell was appointed in his place.
MIR. Allison had received telegram from Mr..
Beck. at Fortress Monroe, saying that he was
improving slowly"
Mr.. Plat offered resolution instructing the
committee on finance to inquire whether for
eien syndicate, combination, or trust controls
the production of copper in the United States,
and has thereby largely increased the price of all
articles made therefrom, and IL so, whether any
legislation can be devised to relieve the people
of the United States from the injurious effects
of the operations of such foreign com bination,
trusts or syndicates.
After a debate participated in by Messrs.
Blair, Plat, George and Hoar, Mr.. Platts rsso-
luton went over until tomorrow without
action.
Mr.. Spooner's resolution as to political muir
ders in Texas was referred TO the committee on
contingent expenses.
The Chinese exclusion bill was taken up, and
Mr.. Jones' of Nevada, proceeded Tn address the
Senate in support OF the bill He said the dis
cussion now was reduced to the point whether
immediate action should be taken TO prevent the
influx of that vile stream of Monaghan barbar-
ism into tho pure waters of American civiliza-
ton, or whether the people would have to wait
until the Chinese government should conclude
TO afford relief. Democratic Senators had ex-
hsusted their ammunition in attempting to
prove that they were first to be right on the
Chinese question, that they had got there In
time" He ought TO say, In justice to them, that
when the Democratic party. after 1860, took of
the gray uniform and put on the garb OF the
working citizen, it was at a loss for . platform.
Every plank Of the platforms which they had
previously had been destroyed by the war, and
the Democrats had been fioundering around for
some position on which TO stand. and in 1872
with the high priest OF protection in
command OF the troops. and in il they put an
ant-Chinese plank. Mr. Jones alluded to tbs
vices OF the Chinese in California and the evil
consequences flowing from their presence there,
and said the Democrats had not shown much
zeal In respect to Chinese exclusion. The posi-
tons Of the two parties after the war had been
entirely different The Republican party be-
heved in the Declaration Of Independence and
connected 1t with the Sermon on the Mount
they believed that the Declaration OF lndepend-
ence was intended for all men. without regard
to color. or country, or previous condition, and
that all men were equal In the opportunities OF
lie. After a great war, in which the shacxles
had been struck from the limbs Of 4000,0 900
of people, they were in no humor to listen 70
proposition TO exclude any race OF men. The
Democrats, on the other hand, believed that the
Declaration Of Independence meant that all
all races Of the earth were equal They had had
a long experience with q non sssimilatiug race,
and they had no use for It" when they could
not enslave it and were therefore ready to vote
to exclude it So list'ess had tho Democrats
Chinese propositions that the peo-
pie OF the Pacific coast did not
believe much in their sincerity, and were afraid
that when the great day Of trial came the Demo
Gratis would come up missing 1t was TO be no
iea3 h. Ran liran hat han a q
publican did como to that side. be became zeal
Gus in the cause. And the people Of the Pacific
coast knew that il they could once get . ma
jority Of Republicans on their side, majority
OF that invincible party whose history has bean
the Had of freedom and whose life had been an
anthem to justice, they would SEQ that hnally
justice was done TO them. He gave the Demo
crats credit for understanding the Chinese quss-
ton to-day. They had started right by seci-
dent, but he believed they were now right oy
>Gesign.
Mr.. Vest said he was curious TO know, a. he
had never been able TO understand whether there
was difference Of opinion between the Re-
publican party at large and the Republicans OF
the Pacific slope as to the meaning Of the Dec
laration Of Independence Did the Senator from
Nevada mean to say that that diffsrance ex-
listed or did that Senator agree with the Demo
cratic party that this was white mars govern
mentl
Sfr. Jones replied that as boy he had heard
on every patriotic occasion speeches declaring
the United States to DO tho home Of the OPP
pressed OF oil nations, but that when he went 70
the Pacific coast and saw bow impossible il was
for Chinese to assimilate with Americans, be be-
came convinced that it was impossible for two
distinct aud dissimiar races to presper side by
side in the Same country. he knew that 1t was
impossible for the white race and the Chinese
race TO live together on these shores. The bar
barous economy Of the Chinese would take Dos
session OF every avenue Of industry to the ex-
clusion OF the American people, and he Mr..
Jones was In favor Of defending his own peo-
pie. and defending them quickly. He referred
through the House of Representatives, and
asked whether it WAS rational to sup
pose that Mr.. Scott could have run
that bill through against the will Of the Presi-
dent OF the United States and in the face OF
the Diplomatic department Of the government"
The delay 10 the Senate Mr.. Jones ascribed TO
the fact that the Democrats supposed they had
got oil tho advantage which they could gst BY
the passage of the Chinese exclusion bill. The
evil of Chinese immigration, he said, was in
creasing daily. Hundreds and thousands Of
Cinnamon were coming annually into the coun-
try and driving Americans out Of employment
Were the people, he asked, TO wait upon gilt
edged diplomacy" until the barbarous govern
ment OF China should say that it Was willing
that the government of the United States should
exclude that tide of immig grafton which every
one believed to be an irrepArabls injury to the
countryl Such silt-edged diplomacy might be
very ron1ed, but IL was not very roouSt. Iae
people of the Pacific coast demanded that there
should be no more delay. They said that the
subject was one over which the United States
were sovereign, and that it vas deregatory to
the dignity of the American people that they
should ask the Chinese government to join with
them before they co1ld decide who would
be dsmicled in this csuntry. Those
Senators VINO would vote for further
delay might find great reward in the fact that
they had maintained the gilt-edged diplomatic
conditions undisturbsd, but those who would
vote for the immediate passage of the bill would
have their names held in reverence not only by
the present population Of the Pacific coast. but
by the many millions who are to inhabit it in
the future. In conclusion, Mr.. Jones said that
on the passage Of this bill one shout of acclaim
would go up from Mount Rainier to the Canyon
of the Colorado.
Mr. Vest said he had always been in accord
with the Senator from Nevada on the Chinese
question. He had seen enough Chipamen in
California to make him feel that be would
rather have yellow fever, cholera, smallpox, So
cially and politically in the country, than China
men. He had asked the Senator from Nevada
INF Jones), question as to the Declaration of
Independence but had got only an indirect
answer. He wanted direct answer to that
question. He wanted to know il those Repub-
lican Senators from the Pacific slope who urged
Chinese were willing to turn :ound and vote for
the most extreme measure to fix on the white
men OF the South the curse of negro domination.
IL the right to vote were attempted to be given
to the Chinese on the Pacific coast, be under
took to say that Californians would fight the
country till the last man fell in defense of homo
| and freside. Even little Nevada, with her To-