Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-06-03
THE LAW ASD 1nI DILEMMA.

THE LAW AND THE DILEMMA.
The sometime frieniB Of and
clamorsrs for the Geary anli.Chinese
law have probably learned much With
In the past month o. 10 public senll.
men, upon a question that really de-
serves 10 be- deemed a pressing
national importance, and yot Is q
question that cannot be answered by
ciamor nor solved by mere legislative
enactment. There arc, and IN all ages
have been, problems which ono
drastic Legislative measure showoi
iisolf unable TO settle, which, indeed,
endured score Of hostile enactmo q
ana still had to be decided and eiimi.
nsled by concession on both slides, ny
utilization, by a confederation II the
underlying point Of difference without
too strict reg ri for the loyal forms,
procedures aud penalties designed for
rs removal.
We shall not now be deemed par.l.
san, or even pr1.Chinese, Tor Insisting
that the bill In question Il unpopular;
Tor a reaction against It has plainly
manifested itself Ia tho worry sections
where It was most vohomeutly
insisted upon. Neither may our
position DO questioned when We
assert and maintain the general
proposition that the beet way to get
rid q an unpopular or bad law h
strictly and onergeiically 10 enforce II.
But whether unpopular or not, the law
ie upon the books, aud by the highest
authority has been pronounced consti.
tuilonal. Ordinarily, the only thing
lefs would be to carry it, proyisions-
drastic or rldlculous-lnto effect. But
here comes the difficulty. slatlstIc;ans
say that the enforcement OF tho law
will require very large sum OF
money, running into the millions,
while there IL lees than twenty thou.
sand dollars available for the purpose.
a griovous financial obstacle would
accordingly teom to stand Ia the way.
Besides this, there u moral obstacle
That cannot 90 easily be turmiuntoi.
rho instructions Of tue secretary OF
tho trossury, aud undoubtedly they |
represented the feelings Of the Pfesi.
dent, were 10 the effect that no hostile |
action should bo taken against the |
Chinese until the law should have
been passed upon by tue highest court.
The officials evidently assumed |
tho extraordinary position that thu |
enactment must be deemed ulcoustitu.
,ionAl untilthe contrary wasptoved; and
VI course they were disappointed with !
the decision OF Justioe Gray. but the |
q hcci Of their uublgty On the original
question was iar.reaching. Being 10
closely In accord with the Views o. the
leadiug Chinese companies, their
doubts were accepted as nl authorize.
tive declaration that the terms OF the
law would never DO eniofcsI. Tue
tesult was the Chinese took the bal
advice Of their leading couutrymon,
hey ignored the law, they refused or
neglected 10 register, aud thus ut once
put themselves Ia the position VI law
orua4en--a pl5i,ion which most OF
chem might have avoided had their
80 willed It, This latter phase
lhu question involves uiscrudit to
The prescribed race wnieh goes hr
towards deprlylug them OF the gym.
pathy that would othorwise be- fclI fJr
tnom. Surprising that Chiun hal
passed n law requiring all Americans
TO register wl,hina certain time ON
penalty OF being deportod, dossany one
suppose they would have been excused
or Justitod In refusing TO comply?
Certainly moi; whore the alternative
was presented 10 them-elther 10 regis.
ter or TO leAye-they would have
excited no real sympathy II refusing
to regisler they had stlll whlned about
leaving. That Is the position Of the
Chinese here; and much az the law In
some Of Its asptcts-especisll In the
motives that prompted it--may be con.
iemned, there Is no Qualification for
The failure OF those affected by It to
comply with provisions that could In
no sense have worked them IN Injury.
The question Is interesting through.
,ut and the dilemma In which tue
wo nations nud themselves would be-
amusing II It were Less serious. There
viii be need OF much skin in unravel.
ng and probably a display Of such
diplomatic ingenuity Es the county
las mol been favored with for long
imr.