The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-09-03
SEATTLE WASHINGTON, SUNDAY sEpTENBER J. 1898

the conditions which lead M to the enact.
msns Of the Geary set The provision fos
registering the Chinese Was drawn oy hisn-
self and intended 10 he within the limits
OF the treaty ard Was nos ouerous. The
provision requiring Chinese Iaborers In
this country 90 register and obtain GER
ti0cstes Was not inserted for the purpose
ofprevsnting any Chinese authorized under
exisfing laws 10 enter the United States and
reside here from doing 50. Ii was not in
serted for the purpose of securing the
deportation OF the Chinese. II Was inserted
Tor the single purpose OF enabling the gov
eminent 10 50 designate Chinese laborers in
this country entitled 20 remain here that
they might De distinguished from those
smuTgled across our border. There had
been great deal of absurd talk and igno-
rant criticism about the provision. He was
more responsible for the provision for reg
lstrsiion than any other mar in the
United States. for he drafted it. The talk
about the provision being degrading was
absurd. In every state in the Union
voters were required 70 register in order
lawfully 20 be entitled to vote. and yet
there had been no suggestion that il was
degrading. The deportation of Chinese
was not the purpose Of the Law, and il Is
not incompatible with the intention OF the
act TO extend the time in which Chinese
may register.
White (Dem. of California said the SEN
asor from Oregon tDol phi seemed 70 have
been treated badly in the senate before he
JtWhite) came here. in failing to have his
name attached to the 6eary act. The bill
which the senator from Oregon introduced
had nothing in IL with reference 10 regis
tration. He was not the father of the
registration idea. because the idea had been
Incorporated into the original house bill.
There was not enough money appropsi-
ated to enforce the act. and therefore ne
was In favor OF some legislation 10 enable
the law to be carried out.
Dolph asked whether all the money ap-
propriated for executing the act had been
expended.
White said he had the figures. and pro-
-ceeded to give them. Since 1889 500, 600
had been appropriated, of which there was
an unexpanded balance of about $4,000.
II weuld be better, be said. if Doiph, in
stead of trying to establish himself as the
father OF the measure. would devote him
self to securing an appropriation TO enforce
the law.
Dolph replied that he had dene all he
could TO secure appropriations, and there
was nothing in his remark TO Justify the
suggestion that he claimed to be the author
OF the bill or that he had been badly
treated by the senate.
Teller OF Colorado called attention to the
fact that abrogation Of treaty Is not vio-
lation of it. Violation Of treaty carried
with il an Implication Of miscopduct on
the part Of the government violating it;
abrogation of treaty carried no such in
ference. Certain lawyers in New York,
influenced no doubt by the large fees
offered by the six companies, concluded
that the Geary act was in violation of the
constitution. In his mind there was no
doubt of the constitutional power of the
government to exclude undesirable immi-
grafton. He had not read the arguments
Of the New York lawyers. because he did
not think there was enough in them to
Justify busy man in reading them. The
natio that cannot clear its borders of q
hostile alien element is not a nation with
full national prerogatives and rights.
Teller continued: This is not . political
question in the sense that either party
could be said so'be Responsible for legisfa-
tion If bad, or could claim credit for it IL Il
was good. He had never voted for ex-
clnsion legislation because 1t was desired
By the people of California. but because of
the evil resulting from Chinese labor in
competition with American labor.
At O'Clock the repeal bill. being un-
finished business, was laid before the SEN
ate, but temporarily laid aside to allow
discussion to continue on the subject of
Chinese exclusion. Gray (Dem.) of Della
ware. while agreeing in the main with the
senator from Colorado (Teller), wished to
express his dissent from the view ex-
pressed by him that abrogation of treaty
MAS not violation of it. Some of the re-
cent legislation had been in direct viola-
ton Of the plighted faith of the govern
ment and violation of such q character
as seemed TO him to have been entirely
unnecessary. The United States had seen
fit to undertake obligations imposed by
treaty relations which it had entered into
with China. and in such undertaking had
pledged the faith Of this mighty people
to their performances. He did not believe
. great country could violate treaty obli-
CATION without serious evil to the country
itself There was no mode by which the
United States could honorabiy rid itself of
those Obligations other than the ruthless
one of disregarding its treaty. There
never was time during which the recent
legislation had been discussed in congress
that the United States could not have
initiated by diplomacy . modification OF
treaties and have accomplished all that
was sought TO be accomplished by iegisla-
ton.
Mitchell (Repl OF Oregon inquired how
the senator from Delaware tGray) recon-
ciled his statement with the fact that after
the United States had negotiated q treaty
with China, having for its purpose the
exclusion of Chinese laborers from this
country and sent that freasy back TO
China, that IL was held by the Chinese
government for months and months with
oct acceptance and in fact hsd never been
accepted.
Gray responded that the treaty vas held
in China because at the time legislation
which proposed to ruthlessly and violently
Get aside treaty obligation was being dis
eussed in congress.
Mitchell stated that examination of the
record would develop the fact that this
Scott bill, 20 which the senator doubtless