The record-union., 1891-08-14
Special to the RECoRD-UNroN.

Special to the REcoRD-UNIoN.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 13.-Pacifc Coast
men now in this city have expressed ap-
prehensiOn that the next Congress will
take steps to allow Chinese TO enter this
country for the purpose of visiting the
Worlds Fair. While not many China
men would avail themselves of this priv
lIege ordinarily, a great many may take
advantage of the opportunity to enter
and manage to remain in this country.
The Washington Post, professedly an
Administration paper, but at heart DEM
ocratic, has an editorial this morning
which is significant. Other Eastern pa
pers have indicated a like sentiment
Without doubt there is some danger
that the sentimentaHsts in Congress may
be able to let down the bars to all Chinese
who may come.
The Post says: 'If anything were
needed to show the abSurdity of the
policy of this Government toward the
Chinese, it is surely furnished in the en-
barrassing position in which our Govern
ment finds itselfin relation 10 the adj
mission of Chinese exhibitors and visit
ors TO the Columbian Exposition The
President, as in duty bound, extended
his invitation to the Government and the
people of China requesting their par
ticipation in the great exhibition to be
held at Chicago, and now there is a ques-
ton as to how this invitation may be
effected by the provisions of the Chinese
Exclusion Act. 1t is easy to see that it
would be wholly unworthy of the dig
nifty OF this Nation to invite people of
another nation to take part in cOmmemo-
ration of great historical event and then
to refuse them permission to land upon
its shores. But it is not easy To see how
the obnoxious law, which provides that
all Chinese citizens, except in few speci
fed cases, shall be strictly excluded from
this country, is to be got over.
THE problem has beeh submitted to
the Treasury Department by the Column
bian Commission, and Assistant Secretary
Nettleton has replied in effect that If the
difficulty cannot otherwise be got over,
Congress may b9 asked to enact provis-
ion which Will warrant the extension
of proper and creditable permission to
Chinese to accept the Presidents invita-
ton and to visit our Worlds Fair. If
the discussion of this embarrassing diff
Guilty has the effect of attracting the pub
lie mind to the narrow, illiberal and ut
| terly unnecessary character of the exelu-
sion Act, it will not have been all in vain"
NOT ALLOWED TO LAND.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 13.-The landing
of Chinese from the Oceanic was stopped
to-day by order of Collector Phelps The
order was due to circular received from
the Treasury Department quoting the de-
cision of the United States Supreme
Court in the case of Wan Sing. The lat
ter is q laborer, and wanted to land on
the ground of prior residence. The court
held that no Chinese, merchant or other
wise, could land in the United States un-
'less he was provided with Consular GER
tificate. To obtain this certificate he
would have to prove that he was conduct
ing a mercantile business in this country,
which would be almost an impossibility
in China. Collector Phelps holds that
this practically excludes all Chinese ex-
cept those connected with the diplomatic
CORDS.