The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-08-24
CHINESE EXCLUSION.
Difficulties in the Way of Enforc-
ing the Existing Law.
CHINA HAS SENT NO EMIssARY

A Chicago Story to That Effect Pro.
nounced n "Fake"-But the Reve.
nue. Officials May Meet seriou,
DISTINCTIONS Should the Qucsti/
Be Taken to the Courts.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 24.-The Chicag'
statement that the government of Chin
had sent out one of its officials to thi
country to contest in the courts tn
latest Chinese exclusion laws, and thi.
this official after spending ten days il
Chicago had started for Washington
city, with a view of engaging the besi
legal talent to be had there, is simply .
gilt edged Chicago fabrication. Its only
slight basis of probability rests upon
the United Press dispatch of Sunday
last setting forth the difficulties which
"one of the most experienced officers in
the internal revenue service" (none
other than the acting commissioner OF
internal revenue) anticipated might
arise in the attempts which his bureau
was compelled to make to put the law
In operation.
"Officials Of the Chinese government
cannot enter this country without their
presence being known. They have to
inform the treasury department of their
intended arrival, and the treasury de-
partment has to issue permit to the
port of landing before they can set foot
on shore. The treasury department has
had no application for the landing of a
Chinese official since the present min
lister in Washington returned from his
trip to Paris and Peru. The Chinese
lar l...rz L, "a l..
tion of the arrival of such an emissary
from the Chinese government, but saws
no such official could possibly have ar
rived without its knowledge. Obviously
the whole story is a fake"
Can the Law be Enforced?
Nevertheless the facts as stated in
these dispatches raise strong presump-
tion that the attempted enforcement of
the latest Pacific coast panacea for the
Chinese evil may meet with serious OBJ
Btuction in the courts. A very large
majority of the 10T 900 Chinese now in
the United States are here in clear con-
form1ty to the second article of the
treaty solemnly ratified between the
United States and China July 49, 1881,
which says: Chinese laborers now in
the United States shall be allowed to
come and go of their own free will and
accord, ana 6nali De accorded all the
rights, privileges, immunities and ex-
emptions which are accorded to the cit
izens and subjects of the most favored
nation"
Probably any court in the United
States would find difficulty in reconcil-
ing this favored nation" privilege with
the obligation imposed by the act of
May Is last, requiring every person here
under the provisions of that treaty to
''flle three sun pictures of himself or
herself, affixed to papers by strongly ad-
hesive paste" and to be accompanied by
the affidavits "of two witnesses Of good
character" swearing to the correctness
Of the likeness and the length of time
and legality of the applicants residence
In the United States. And inasmuch as
the only method of securing compliance
with this law placed in the hands of
the revenue officials ia a threat of send
ing the Chinaman refusing back 10
China at the expense of the United
States, the revenue officials are thought
to be within the bounds of reason when
they express doubts as to whether the
law can be enforced.