The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-05-19
Politics in the General Conference.

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The General Conference of the Meth
odists is being held in Omaha, Nebraska.
On the 9Th inst the Presidents approval
of the bin to restrict Chinese immigra-
tlon commanded the attention of the
and the policy it embraces
was discussed and denounced in unmeas-
ured freedom. During the discussion
Dr. Leonard denounced the President
and Congress, and said that the Chinese
had the same right here as other for
eigners, notably the Irish. He believed
this Conference should take action IN
no uncercertain tone in relation to it,
Other delegates expressed similar views
and were free III their hostile criticism
of the President ana Congress. DR.
Leonar1 is political parson from ONO
He it was who, Il few years ago, was the
Prohibition candidate for Governor OF
that State, and conducted a very rash
and unchristian like canvass. vi course,
the vote he received was scarcely notice
able in summing up the final result; yet
the contest revealed the political venom
that ranked in the Christian bosom OF
the reverend doctor The looseness OF his
expressions then were similar in their eH-
aggeration to what they were in Omaha.
He seems to lose sight OF the fact that
there is vast difference between tile
Chinese and Irish before and after they
reach this country. The Chinese, as a
rule, are not in sympathy with our peo-
pie, laws or institutions. They come here
for gain They work for low wages, live
niggardy, and when they have ac~
cumulated means either send or take
them back to China. They do not be-
come identified with us as citizens III any
respect, but on the contrary segregate
themselves from all American social and
business usages and relations, and keep
themselves as distinct and separate from
Americans as if they were Hottentoss.
They assume none of the duties ana
obligations OF citizenship, except when
compelled by our laws to do so; they
recognize their allegiance not to the
government of this country, but to
China, and are not amenabie to service
in defence of the country where they
are permitted to live and seek wealth,
to be appropriated to interests in their
native land. Not one in ten thousand
ever take the oath Of allegiance to this
government, but as soon as they have
filled their pockets they take Storage
passage and return, with their gains, to
their Oriental homes.
Not SO with the Irish, German, Scans
dinavian, and in fact almost every other
race. The Irish and Germans, espe>
cially, generally come here to make their
homes. They assume the duties and
obligations of citizenship as soon as our
laws will permit they become identi-
fed with American interests and Ameri-
can institutions are amanabie to service
in war and peace; take part in and con
tribute to all public enterprises, and are
frequently numbered among our most
prominent, useful and successful citl-
zens. For DR.. Leonard to class the
Chinese and Irish together, and apply
the same policy to the one as to the
other, is the manifestation of an indif-
ference to facts and conditions that is
neither mplimentary to his fairness
nor his intelligence.
We cannot say that we approve, as a
whole, the Chinese restriction bill. 1t is
most too drastic and exclusive; but
those who have come more directly in
contact with this class OF immi grants and
have pratical knowledge of their habits
and usages, regard it as embracing the
proper policy, and in respect to this,
and what they allege is the interest Of
the States they represent, the bill, as it
came from the Conference Committee
was approved by the President.
Whatever its defects the bitter TRADE
pronounced against the bill, against
Congress and the President by members
of the General Conference, was out of
place, unjust and indefensible. 1t is
very certain that the Chinese are not q
desirable class of immigrants, for the
reasons we have-given above. The coun-
try would be better off without them,
us it would be without a good many
others. Our immigration laws, speak
ing generally, are too loose and liberal.
They should be modified and such re-
strictions enacted as would protect this
country from all Objectionable inmi-
grants, whatever the nature and chars
acter of the objections. AS to the
Chinese, the lines had to be drawn
somewhere, and in drawing them i'll the
bill in question, they may have been too
severely Indicated to be consistent with
treaty obligations. But something was
necessary to lessen the ingress of Il class
of people which is a positive disadvan~
tage to us and contribute nothing to our
material welfare.