The Portland daily press., 1893-05-17
THE eEAEY EXCLUSION Law.

THE GEARY EXCLUSION Law.
The Geary law which has just been de-
clared constitutional by the Supreme
court was passed in its original form by
the last House by vote of 1859 yeas to 43
nays. The Senate somewhat modified its
harsh features and passed it by vote of
43 to IA. 1t then went into conference
committee, where it was moulded into tho
form in which it was finally passed by
both branches and in which it now stands
on the statute book. The most impor-
tant part of the law is the section that
provides that all Chinese laborers in the
United States at the time of the passage
OF the act, and who are entitled to remain
here, shall apply to the collectors of in
ternal revenue in their districts within
one year for certificate of residence:
and any Chinese laborer who shall neg
lect, fail OF refuse to comply with the
provisions of this act, or who, after one
year, shall be found within the United
States without such certificates of resi-
dence, shall be adjudged to be here I'M
lawfully and may be arrested by any
United States custom official, collector
of internal revenue OF United States
marshal, and taken before a United
States judge whose duty it shall be to
order that he be deported from the
United States unless he shall establish
clearly that by accident, sickness or 9th
er unavoidable cause he has been unable
to procure his certificate, and by at
least one credible white witness that he
was a resident Of the United States at
the time of the passage of this act.
By advice of the Chinese Six Compa-
MES nearly all the Chinese residents of
the country have neglected to procure
their certificates, and as the year has ex-
pired, nearly all of them are liable to arrest
and deportation. There is serious prac-
tical difficulty, however, in the way of en-
forcing the law, and lit is not likely that
the Chinese will be disturbed at present.
Congress appears to have assumed that
the law would be complied with by the
great mass of the Chinese, and it seems
to have never entered it's head that a
contingency might arise where the gov
eminent would have to undertake the
enormous burden Of deporting 100000
persons. In consequence it made but
small appropriation for the enforcement
of the law, and what is left of it is alb
surdly inadequate for the job which the
government has on its hands by reason
of the neglect of the Chinese to register
and the decision of the court. It is prob
able, therefore. that there will be,no gen
eral enforcement of the law until Con-
gress meets and appropriates the neces-
sary funds. But it is by no means Ger
tain that Congress will do the latter.
AS the next Congress meets with
Presidential Election far off the anti
Chinese cry will be likely to be less po-
tent with it than with the last one. Be-
sides since the law was passed there have
been many demonstrations of disapprov-
al from influential quarters which will
be likely to have some effect. The
opinions Of the Supreme Court are not
going to make the law any more popular
for while the majority of the judges de-
clare its constitutionalitv. there are three
dissenting opinions condemning the law
both on moral and legal grounds. Fur
thermore the reception which the de-
cision meets with in China is not going
to be without effect. 1t is important
that we should maintain friendly rela-
ton with that nation, and Congress now
that the political pressure at home is
withdrawn will be reluctant to imperil
them unless for the best of reasons.
For these reasons we are inclined to
think that at the coming session of Con-
gress some of the harsh features of the
law will be modified. There is undoubt-
edly strongly preponderating senti-
ment in this country iagainst the admis-
sion of more Chinese At the same time
there is strong and fpreponderating be-
lief that many of sthe provisions of the
Geary law are unnecessarily harsh.