The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-28
GENERAL HARR1soN's CHINESE RECORD

GENERAL HARRIsON'S CHINESE RECORD.
The journal desires to state exactly the
ord of General Harrison on the Chinese en-
igration question: while a member of the
Senate. What we have heretofore said is
substantially correct but not entirely in de-
tail, and we want to set the matter finally and
forever at rest. 1t is record with which
General Harrison can be perfectly satisfied,
and one that will make him friends in all the
States among the members of the Republican
party, and among all classes who are opposed
to the invasion of hordes of contracted and
coolie labor, and of involuntary emigration,
assisted, either by countries which are anx-
ious to throw their surplus and dangerous
classes into the United States or by selfish and
short sighted corporations, which have endeav-
oyed to supplant free and intelligent American
labor with unintelligent involuntary and low
paid European labor.
It may be said prelminarily and it is
worth the saving that the necessity to look
into General Harrison's record on the ques-
tion is brought about not by any criticism
from the Pacific coast but because of unfair
and disingenuous attacks in Indiana, by per-
sons who have not hesitated to try to stab
General Harrison while their lips were full of
professions of high regard, not only for him
personally, but for the harmony of the party.
These men, who can be counted upon the
fingers of the hands, seriously deprecate any
thing that will tend to cause dissension, yet
it is strange that they, and they only, are
engaged in what seems congenial work OF
unfair attack upon General Harrison, with
the hope of ending him as possible presden-
tial candidate The same tactics were pursued
when he was candidate for United States Sen
ator, and they came from the same source.
The Republicans of Indiana understand it
all; it does not come from desire to honestly
consider the strength or the weakness of
didate before the people. These articles do not
find expression through Republican channels.
but almost invariably reach the public
through Democratic sources. No matter in
what disguise, they are always the same in
essence; the hand may be the hand of Esau,
have said, it is strange that in Indiana it
should be discovered that General Harrison's
record on the Chinese question is faulty.
while on the Pacific coast there is no voice
heard against him, but on the contrary, only
| the kindest mention of his name as among
| those Republicans who would make
| ceptable and available candidate, and Presi-
| dent worthy the high Office if he should be
| nominated and elected. This fact reveals the
| animus of the attack; but to the record.
| The first Chinese-exclusion bill, introduced
into the Senate by Senator Miller. of California,
was passed March 9, 1882 Senator Harrison,
as has been stated in the Journal, voted for
| several amendments which would conform
| the bill to the agreements of existing treaty
obligations and render it more in harmony with
| the best thought Of the country, or of the
Republican party, at least, at that time. On
the passage of the bill he is not recorded
! voting, being absent from the Senate. The
| bill was vetoed by President Arthur, and,
together with all the Republican Senator'S
Allison, Hawley, Sherman, ingalls,, Window
and others-he voted to sustain the veto the
vote resulting ayes %, nays 81, only Miller,
of New York. in addition to the Pacifc-coast
Senator'S voting for the bill.
| What is known as the Page bill, reported
from the House. was passed in the Senate on
April 10, 1882, by vote of 80 to To- Mr..
| Harrison voted in the negative, together with
Allison, Hoar, ingalls,, Hawley Sherman and
| others, he, with his Republican colleagues,
having again attempted to secure proper
| amendments to the measure. Only Cameron,
| of Wisconsin, and Miller, of New York, be-
sides the Pacifc-coast Senators, voted for the
| Page BILL
On May 3, 1884, supplementary bill was
passed in the House. and the Sd of July,
1884, in the Senate. For this DILL, in the
Senate, the vote was, ayes 43, nays IL. For
this bill Senators with whom Senator
Harrison had been acting voted. He would
have voted for it had he been present in the
Senate, but he was absent and is not recorded
as voting. OF the Republican Senators now
prominently mentioned for the presidency
only Hawley voted in the negative, as did
Mr.. Edmunds, and the New England Senators
generally.
At the first session of the Forty-ninth
Congress, Mr. Fair, of Nevada intro
duced bill in the Senate Is. 1991) which
was referred to the committee on foreign
relations. Senator Harrison was appointed a
member of that committee on the 9Th of April,
1856. ISee Congressional Record, Forty ninth
Congress, first session, p. 3l06.1 This bill
was favorably reported by that committee to
the Senate. unanimously, April %, 1886, by
Mr.. Sherman. the chairman of the