The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-05-25
CHINESE DEPORTATION,

CHINESE DEPORTATION.
An exceedingly deii;at question Is
presented the United States in trying
to put into effect the Geary law Which
the supreme court of the United STATES
has lust declared constitutions
That Chief Justice Fuller and Asso-
ciate Justice Field, who is from Call
fornia. the state that originated the
hostile Chinese legislation, dis
sented from the finding OF
the court of the very last
resort, throws not a small straw OF
additional doubt and difficulty in the
way of adjusting the question to exist
ing facts. And that 1000, 900, Will be
required to deport the unregistered
Chinese may prove the straw that
will finally break the back OF the law
THE STATESMAN months ago ca!leu
attention to the impOlicy OF passing
laws needlessly rejecting on the
Chinaman. The United States, IN
common with other nations, worked
many weary years to induce emma 10
allow free entry to her ports. The
point was gained and we have iound
trade relations with China to be
very profitable. But the gentleman
with the pig -tail followed his products
to America, and on our shores COM
menced the hard working and econom'
zeal style of living that characterized
him in his own country. Unc!e sam 5
toling boys found that they could
not compete with the deft fingered
rice eating Celestial, and a howl OF
protest loud and long has been going
up. 1t resulted first in the enactment
forbidding any more Cinnamon com
ing to the United States and now
under the Geary act those here must
become citizens or be deported. Trade
with China was good thing and 8
few Cinnamon were good thing, but
our lawmakers say we have gotten
LOU IHuCu vi SOOu 'h'Do'
But the question that is now VeXihg
the government is what about the en-
forcement of this new law? Able con-
stitutional lawyers have constended II
was unconstitutional and would be
declared imperative by the supreme
court. Their judgment fell shcrt OF
the result, as u bare majority OF that
court has said the law was all right.
But what about those Cinnamon who,
relying on the advice OF
able counsel, refused to comply
with the law and did not
register? They acted in good faith
and in accordance with the best light
before them. That their counsel were
warranted in giving them such adj
vice is evidenced by the decision in
the supreme court and the further
fact that the administration itself
placed no faith in the law being held
good and now finds itself in no condi-
ton to promptly enforce it, having
made no provision for so doing.
The equities of the case as now pre-
sented and the Importance OF main
ing our friendly and profitable busl'
ness relations with China all demand
that further time be given the Chinese
in the United states TO comply with
the spirit of the law. If after such
extension of time, they have not
then registered then our gov
eminent will be in better
position to understand the is
sue that is joined and better prepar-
cd to enforce the law If congress shall
30 decree. But for its part The
STATESMAN thinks far too much i'm
portance has already been given this
question. 1t is true we do not want
the United States swarmed over by
millions and millions of Celestials, but
we can keep that from happening
without resorting to any such extreme
measures as the Geary act. While
we boast of land of freedom and
equality of citizenship we should see
{ it that our boast has good fouuda.
ton in fact. Up to very recently we
have given encouragement TO the
widest latitude of immigration, and
we should treat every man so coming
among us with the utmost and most
scrupulous fairness and Justice.