Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-02
WHAT THE ezAsv LAW is.
Legislation Regarding chinese In Till
Country Clearly EspIaiard.

Liquidation NcRhrHlnK thih'f' IN anu
Country Clearly Explained.
| The supreme court OF the United States
has affirmed tho constitutionnlity Of the
I Chinese exclusion act Of May 5, is02, which
REQUIRES thercmoval from the United States
Of all Chinese persons who are not lawfully
entitled 10 remain here Practically this
act-which is commonly called the Gcnry
law, from the name Of tho member Of con-
gress who introduced the bill for which II
was substituted not 20 Into effect un-
I'll May 0, 1888, because It gave the Chinese
until that date to procure the certificates
which should show that they were lawfully
In tho country.
By its terms the new law excludes no
class OF Chinese not already forbidden TO
enter tho country, nor does 1t require the
expulsion Of any who were In the country
when the previous laws prohibiting the i'm
migration Of Chinese lnbores went into
force
In effect. however, taking into consldera-
ton the failure Of many thousands OF
Chinese IRborcrs TO comply with the terms
OF the law, its strict enforcement would
eYpel the majority Of the Chinese In the
United States.
The law continues In force the existing
legislation relating to the Chinese and
provides that all Chinese who cannot prove
that they arc lawfully in the county shall
be removed to China, or, II they have be-
come citizens Of some other country, to
that country.
All Chinese laboreTs who were lawfully
IN the country at the time Of the passage VI
the act arc required by IL TO obtain, within
one year. from the collector Of internal
revenue in whose district they lived GER
tillcate Of their residence, giving each mans
name, age, place OF abode and occupation.
Any Chinese laborer, whether entitled to
live In the country or not, who shall not
have obtained this certificate before May
8, 1903, ~ subject not only to deportation.
but to fine aud Imprisonment
As the previous legislation had prohibit
ed tho immigration u Chinese laborers
only, and Us by the treaty between the
United States and China all Chinese who
are teachers, students, merchants or tray-
elers from curiosity, together with their
servants. and all Chinese lRboers who were
already In the country when the treaty was
adopted were guaranteed the same rights
az other foreigners, the law directly applies
only to laborcrs who have obtained admis-
sion to the country since the previous ex-
clusion acts were passed or TO those who
have failed to take out certificates.
Acting under advice that the present or
"Genry act' was contrary TO our national
constitution and In violation Of the treaty
with China, the great majority Of the Chi
nese lalercrs failed to take out certificates
of residence, Several OF them were arrest
ed, aud when their liberation was demand
ed ON wtits Of hHbens corpus their cases
were taken first before the United States
district counts and then to the United
States supreme court on this constitutional
question.
A majority Of the supreme court decided
against these Chinese appellants. declaring
that the law Is IN accordance with the CON
stitution and that congress did not exceed
It's power In euaotiug II. The majority Of
Chinese labOrers In the country therefore,
are now subject to arrest and Punishment
to China
A great deal of opposition to the terms Of
the law has been expressed on account OF
It's supposed violation Of the treaty Of the
United States with China II Ia assumed
that II the law is enforced Il will be fol
lowed by retallatory measures aud that
Americans Will be expelled from China.
1t Is possible that this will DO tho case,
but 1t is proper to sNy thHt the conditions
under which Chincsc may live In the United
States under the "Geary act Wc fur more
liberal than those under which Americans
live, travel do business or express them
selves In China or have ever done so-
Youths Companion.