The Meeker herald., 1893-05-20
THE CHINESE MUST GO.
The supreme Court Says the Gcary Law
Is Constitutional.

The supreme Court Of the United States on
the 18th affirmed the constltutionality Of the
Gerry Chinese exclusion and registration act.
The opinion was announced by Justice Gray,
Justices Brewer, Field and Fuller dissenting
The announcement that decision in tin G
case was expected attracted large attend
ancc OF spectators, and the fact that It was
the last day OF the term accounted for the
presence Of an unusual large array OF attor-
neys within the bar, including Attorney Gen
eral olncy, Solicitor General Aldrlch, scna-
tors Push, Dolph and Coclrell cH-Ju-tlce
Strong aud several member OF the diplomatic
corps were Interested spectators
Justice Gray, In announcing the Judgment
Of the court, said that the power of this ua-
tlon to restrict or prohibit the immigration Of
allen. into the United States, or to require
such aliens already In the country To remove
thcrcfrom, was a well settled principle Of Ia
,crnational law and was confirmed by an un.
broken line Of decisions In thi, court.
The legislative power OF the government
bad not transcribed any Of It's constitutional
limitations In the act under consideration. II
was within IT. power to determine the regula-
lions under which these alien, should be per-
mttcd to remain In the United States. or,
failing TO observe these regulations, they
should be required 10 leave the country. The
provisions OF section six OF the act, the part
OF the law particularly at Issue, were not in
consistent with the relations and duties Of the
legislative and judicial departments of the
government The mode OF procedure set
forth In the action Is similar to that In other
we'll established proceedings, such rs the
habeas corpus aud naturalization, fixing the
requirements Of citizenship and the like, la
which the judicial branch OF the government
accepted the determination OF the legislative
upon tie questions involved
Al the conclusion OF Justice Grny's opinion
Justice Brewer announ ed that he felt com
PEELED to dissent from the view OF the major
lily of the court. He read his views ut some
length. declaring In substance that the act OF
1872 WIS unconstitutional. and that II II were
upheld there was no guarantee that similar
] treatment might not be accorded 10 other
e'a,-cs of our population than the Chinese.
Just &C Field. who delivered the opinion of
the Supreme Court OF the United States In
the first under the exclusion act, also
read a dissenting opinion. He held that
| there was wide difference between exclusion
of immigrants and the deportation Of allen
residents and he characterized the act In the
strongest language as inhumnn aud brutal
and as volstivc to the constitution to every
section. lie regretted to say that TO his
mind the decision OF the court was fraught
with the gravest dangers to the priceless con-
stituiIonal liberties OF the people.
Chief Justice Fuller also dlsscntcd from
the opinion Of the court
In his dissenting opinion, the chief justice
denied the soundness OF the proposition that
the cases before the court were such as the
political department oil the government alone
could deal with. 1t was In his view a judicial
question, and how reluctant courts may be to
pass upon the consttutionali'y OF legislative