The record-union., 1893-05-05
A STATES RIGHTS RIPPLE.

Governor Pennoyer of Oregon is too
quick upon the trigger. He is so sensi-
tive upon the question of the sovereignty
of the State that he takes offense where
none is intended, and imagines trespass
begun where none is contemplated,
and voids his anger in rude and un-
seemly language. We admire pride in
state; it is one of the attributes of patri-
otism. But there is such a thing as being
super-sensitive about State independ-
ence.
The Secretary of State telegraphed to
Governor Pennoyer that apparently we'll
founded reports had it that some scheme
was on foot to mob Chinese this week,
and he the Secretary, for the President
hoped the Governor would take all pre-
cautions to preserve the peace and pre-
vent riotous proceedings against the Chi
nese. A similar dispatch was sent to all
the Pacific Coast and to several of the
TransmisSissippi Governors. Governor
Pennoyer seems to be the only one who
manifested displeasure-if any of the
others felt it they had the wisdom and
good-breeding to conceal it. The Oregon
Governor in so many words told the Sec
rotary and the President to mind their
own business. and he would attend to his.
This was abrupt, rude, discourteous and
uncalled for. He might have been Just
as severe and been ever so polite had he
chosen.
We incline to the belief that the dis
patch from the State Department was
appears to regret it, and saddles it
upon Assistant Adee. He says he had no
reports of any danger to Chinese on the
coast, but he adds that if Mr.. Adee did
address the Governors he did what he
thought for the best. Clearly, Secretary
Gresham is annoyed that the Governors
should have been addressed as they were,
and clearly he would not have done it in
that manner had the matter been in his
hand. If the President himself directed
the message to be sent, then the Execu-
tive Department must have had informa-
ton of which the State Department, so
far as Secretary Gresham is concerned,
did not have knowledge.
Whatever information the President
had was deceptive and grossly mislead-
ing-of that there can be no doubt; sub
sequent facts develop the truth; Chinese
busybodies reported to their Consuls and
Ministers that Chinese had been threat
ened with arrest if they did not register,
and the latter official complained that his
people were in danger. Of course they
had been threatened with arrest. The
revenue officials by direction published
the threat far and wide; the law itself is
harm to the Chinese, nor one indicating
exposure to mob violence, and none
knew this better than the Chinese Off
cials. They knew also that the Secretary
of the Treasury had days ago ordered no
arrests to be made until test case can be
passed upon by the courts. Here was
an opportunity, however, to play upon
the sympathies of the Eastern people,
that the cunning Chinese were too shrewd
TO allow to escape them.
We of the Pacific Coast know that no
one has contemplated any harm to the
Chinese; there has been no reason what
ever for entertaining any fear that any
unlawful assault would be made upon
them. 1t is probable that the whole
thing grew out of the ministerial COM
plant and the high-sounding protest OF
the Chinese Government against the law,
recently forwarded to the President.
We have confidence in the discretion OF
President Cleveland, and that he would
not intentionally trench upon a State
right or offer to any Governor cause fol
offense. But this much said, it must be
conceded that it would have been wiser
and more courteous for the State Depart
ment TO have frst asked the Executives
of the several States if there was any
truth in the apparently reliable informa-
tiou.''i The friction was caused by the