The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-05-19
JOHN AND THE LAW.

"A uldJOlity VI ~ IuebSo Va WV hAecN
States supreme court have decided in
favor OF the Geary Chinese law, but a
severe protest is made by the minority
against their decision, and the Chinese
are beginning to think that the Ameri-
can people do not know what they want.
In a manner the attitude of the
supreme court is a counterpart of that
of the public at large. There are people
all over the country who believe sincere
ly that the Chinese should be admitted
as freely as any other class of immi-
grants, while another section, probably a
minority on the whole, as sincerely be-
lieves that the Chinese should be kept
out at any cost, and that those already
here should be deported.
These differences of opinion, existing
in every state and city, and invading
even the highest court in the land, will
exist for a good while, no doubt, but I'M
less something effective is done by the
government 10 shut out the Chinese a
time will speedily come when there will
be a practically unanimous wish on the
part of the American people, that these
interlopers had never been permitted to
land.
The government knows perfectly well
that if a ship load of lepers were landed
on our shores, and permitted to go
hither and thither at will. We should
soon be a nation of lepers no matter
how We might construe our action as
kind and sympathetic. 1t is not de-
MED that the Chinese who come here
are, as a rule, sober and Industrious
The trouble is that they are an alien
race, that they come here to conquer by
the very sobriety and industry we affect
to admire in them, instead of by force of
arms.
Open our ports and give them a fair
field and it will be but a short time be-
fore they will usurp every avenue Of
trade, labor, and industry in which they
can secure a foothold. Success would
embolden them and leading men of their
race would come here to profit by the op-
portunities their situation would pre-
sent. What we have now is but the
small end of the wedge. but let them go
on and they will land tens of thousands
of their Coolie cattle on our shores every
year.-towns and cities will be captured
by them, and finally entire states, and SO
the day will shortly come when the
mischief can be done away With only by
an armed conflict.
1t is all very well for us to be liberal
and tolerant, but we owe it to ourselves
and to posterity to prevent the introduce
ton Of any clement which is a menace to
the peace and well being of our country.
The rehearing Of the case now before
the supreme court would seem to be
scarcely necessary. The advocates of
the Chinese side before that tribunal
are bound to do all in their power for
their clients, but it is very doubtful that
the court need hear any further proceed
ings in the promises after handing down
a decision which, though not unani-
nous, is nevertheless the judgment of
the court and binding upon the parties
in interest
1t is our firm conviction, drawn from
years Of study and observation on this
subject, that there is not oEe element in
American policy today of such vital i'm
p%ortance as the absolute exclusion of the
Chinese as immigrants to our shores.
The exclusion of the yellow race must be
firmly yet kindly enforced.