Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-09-07
EXCLUSION OF THE Chinese
Senator Gray on the Duty of
This Government.
SHOULD NOT IMPOSE UPON CHINA
Treaty Obligations That Must
be Adhered To.
Discussion in the Senate Upon the Bill
Appropriating $5OO,OO0 for the En-
forcement Of the Chinese Exclusion Act
Ex-senator Gray Urges That the PliGhted
Faith of the Nation be Not Broken.

Faith of the Nation be Not Broken.
Mr.. Dolph, r., (Ore.), addressed the
United States Senate, Saturday after
noon, in advocacy of bill heretofore
introduced by him appropriating $780,
900 to enable the Secretary of the Treas
ury TO enforce the Chinese Exclusion
act. He said that he was not now, and
never had been radical on the Chinese
question, but he wished particularly to
correct some current erroneous impress
sions in reference to the Geary act. He
went on to make statement TO show
the undesirable features of Chinese i'm.
migration and to summarize the facts
which had led up to the passage of the
Geary act.
He defended the provision for Chinese
registration, and said that he himself
was more responsible for that provision
than any man in the United States, for
he had drawn it. All the talk against it
came generally from religious organiza-
tons, which seemed to have obtained
their information from ignorant news
paper reporters. 1t was absolutely
necessary, he said, if the law were to be
executed intelligently, that the provi.
sion for registration should be preserved.
| Mr.. Teller, R., Coli defended the
Geary act and the registration clause in
it. There was nothing in the act, he
said, either cruel or unusual-noIhing
in 1t which should have created the
slightest objection on the part of the
Chinese government The nation which
could not clean its borders of hostile
and alien element was not nation
with full prerogatives and rights. And
so all governments had provided how,
and under what conditions, aliens
should be admitted, how they should be
deported-either voluntarily on their
own part or by force if they declined to
leave,
The Geary act, he said, had been
spoken OF as violation of the treaty
with China. A legislative abrogation
of treaty was not violation of
treaty. The violation of treaty
carried with 1t an implication of mis-
conduct by the government violating it,,
but the abrogation of treaty carried
with it no such inference.
Mr.. Gray, d. (Del.), agreed in the
main with Mr.. Teller as to the policy of
encouraging Chinese immigration, but
he had a very decided opinion as to
some of the recent legislation on the
subject being violation of the plighted
faith of the nation, and a violation OF
such character as had been entirely
unnecessary. He did not believe that
this great country could violate its treaty
obligations wantonly and ruthlessly
without resultant evil to the country
itself.
There was way and mode by
which the United States could have
honorably rid itself of its obligations in
the matter. There never had been any
. times while the recent Chinese legis-
, lation was being considered in Congress
when the United Statas could not have
obtained by diplomacy modification OF
the treaty and have accomplished all
that it was sought to accomplish. II
that were so, it was certainly a duty due
to national self-respect to have resortcd
to that mode of accomplishing the re-
suit.
Mr.. Mitchell, r., (Ore.) asked Mr.
Gray how he reconciled that statement
with the fact that after a treaty had
: been negotiated with China having fol
! its purpose the exclusion of Chinese
labor, and after the Senate had amended
that treaty and it had been sent back K
: China, it had been held there by thC
/, Chinese government for months anc
months without its being accepted. HI
added1that it never had been accepted
at was held there" answered Mr.
Gray, "for months and months by tn,
J Chinese government because at tina
: very time this legislation, which pro
I posed, ruthlessly and violently, to Sc
. aside treaty obligations, was being dis
= cussed in this or the other house."
"The Scott bill was not introduced il
the House OF Representatives until thi
treaty had been several months in thu
e handso Of the Chinese government" sale
Mr.. Mitchell.
Elbow many months?" Mr.. Gray asked
"Seyeral," was the answer.
I eve should not" said Mr.. Gray
n "impose upon the Chinese government
/ with which we recognize the duty o
d having treaty relations, the obligation o
}. undue haste or of proceeding with NOR
precipitation than we would feel in
clined to proceed in q like case. Tn
: time which elapsed after the return 0
I the treaty was not more than sutficien
e Gf it was even sufficiently to enable til
$. Chinese government to consider tn
Il matter.
"But rose principally to enter m.
protest against the proposition of til
/. Senator from Colorado that the legisla
v tive abrcgation Of a treaty cannot
i considered in the nature of the viola
IS ton of treaty. The government of
d county with which we have treaty rela
l. tons has nothing to do with our execu
y tive department or our legislative de
1t partment as such, but with the govern
,r ment as a totality. grant you that W
i can abrogate treaty by legislation, bu
,r in doing so we may do it in such mar
ii ner as to be an absolute violation of gu
h plighted faith
lie Mr.. Call, d., (Fla,), spoke Of the re
N cent Chinese legislation as being. hars
and unjust and calculated to defeat tn
missionary efforts of religious organizs
tons and to interfere with commerce.
al After some further discussion III
l. Dolph bill was referred to the commi
(, tee on foreign relations.
-. Kin. l---1s--
d Sunday Injunction Dissolved.
s CHICAGO, ILL, Aug, 3l.-The iniunciio