The herald., 1893-09-16
VORnNGMEN vs., PREACHERS.
A Lively Mass Meeting on the
Chinese Question.
An Interesting Discussion Held
Last Evening.
DR.. Widney Endorses IN Extension ST
RcgistrAtion Time-Editor Clark
of the Labor Review Gre
ates q Diversion.

The mass meeting held at the First
Presbyterian church last night. for the
purpose OF considering the deportation
of the Chinese, was we'll attended but
accomplished nothing, although things
were very lively for while.
1t had been the purpose of those who
inaugurated the meeting to pass some
resolutions petitioning congress to ex-
tend the time for registration, in order
to give the Chinese an opportunity to
correct their error, but this desire did
not materialize. The labor unions stole
q march on the worthy gentlemen and
captured the meeting, thwarting the
purpose Of passing the petition.
While the resolution was put to a vote
and the negatives scarcely outnumbered
the Alternatives. they showed clearly to
the presiding gentleman that such q
resolution could not be adopted as the
sense OF the meeting. Mr.. Bresee re-
allied the situation and acted accord
ingly. aege sfg
Early in. the evening people hocked
into the building, and long before the
spesch-making was commenced every
seat was taken and the parlors also
crowded to suffocation. A feature OF
the attendance were some Chinese, evil
IDENTIFY Christianized, and numbering
perhaps three dozen. s4efi
The labor unions were also out in full
force, and besides being in the rear of
the church, were scattered about the
main body of the room.
Mr.. Bresee of Simpson tabernacle
presided. On the platform were Revs.
Reed, Stradley and DR.. Widney. a
Mr.. Stradley opened with prayer, and
Mr.. Bresee then spoke briefly, outlining
the objects OF the meeting.
THE MEETING.
Rev. Geo. Reed, pastor Of the first
Baptist church, was introduced as the
first speaker. He expressed himself as
being strongly in favor OF the Chinese
and declared the Geary act to be uneon-
Htitutionsl. sEiss
Tn viewing the legal point Of the case
he cited the sixth article OF the constitu-
tion, which provives that treaties with
foreign countries shall be place on the
came plane with the constitution and
other laws. To have !egalized the pres
ent violation of the treaty, the. treaty
should have been repealed just the
same as any part OF the constitution.
Such was not done, and this is in direct
violation of the constitution and the
Geary act was therefore illegal.
"As to the matter OF the treaty, Geo.
B. Davis, in his International Law, says
treaties entered into under these condi-
tions are binding and are not affected
by any changes which may take place
in the internal affairs of the country.
Wolsey and other authorities on inter-
national law agree with this statement.
1.-The treaties cease only when the
countries cease to exist. We stand con-
victed before the world OF being guilty
OF having violated our treaty with
China. We claim to be Christian ma
ton, and yet we have violated this SOL
emn treaty with China. soa's
1T is claimed that there ore too
many Cinnamon in this country. Now,
there is about one Chinaman to every
$40 of the other inhabitante-call them
Americana II you desire. 1t is not pos-
nible that the one Chinaman is so for
midable rival to the other $40 inhabi-
tants.
If we find that they are not benefit
to this country and we desire to get
along without them, let us restrict the
immigration Of all and not OF the China
man alone.
''This country has not acted honor
ably with the Chinese empire in regard
to this violation of the treaty. Had we
found that we did want the Chinaman
here, we should have 30 informed his
government, and in no longer abiding
by the treaty, give that country an op-
portunity to regulate the treaty in order
to conform with the requirements of
their country"
He arrsiRned, severely, the action of
the government, and closed with view
OF the scriptural side Of the question.
reading number OF selections from
Deuteronomy and other books to show
that this government had committed q
sin in not regarding the rights OF the
Celestial as "the stranger within our
gates"
DIR. wIDNEY's VIEWS. 4
DR.. J. P. Widney was next introduced.
He first reviewed the settlement of the
motion and said that decided change
had taken place within the past quarter
OF century.
The condition that now confronted us
was race question. One thing that re-.
mained for this government was to show
the world that it could govern itselLEITo
do this intelligence was necessary. 49, d
The difficulties with the nations of
eastern Europe had been that there was
too much intermingling of blood and
great difficulties had arisen in govern
ing them and they had fallen. France
was just learning how to govern itaelf
after a Thousand years OF tyranny.
The duty of this nation was a grave
ore.s 1t was tC show to all the other
countries that we could govern onr-
selves. We could not afford to iail.gfoy
on success hinged the advancement ofl
the world.
To govern ourselves intelligence was
necessary. 1t WAS right to open our
gates to the poor and oppressed Of eyeryAl
nation, but II was not right to allow dis
cordant and ignorant elements into the
country who would retard it's progress.
While we should recognize the rights of |
these several hundred thousand China
men in our midst, it was not right that
we should disregard the rights and ad- |
vacement OF the thousands more of citi-
zens and also those who were to coma |