The record-union., 1893-05-19
THE RESTRICTION ACT.
Expressions of Representative Interior
Journals.
Divided in acknowledgements o
the Law-The Supreme Court
Decision.


ter of the law and deport every China
man that refused to register before the
9th instant.
Santa Barbara independents Our people
are in earnest, and as law-abiding citizens
themselves will hold the powers in
authority to a strict accountability in the
enforcement of the law. 1t has been
enacted by legislative authority and its
constitutionality upheld by the highest
legal tribunal.
Santa Barbara Press: While the
Chinese may tremble in their shoes at
this stage of the affair." it is not likely
that they will have to make tracks to-
ward the Celestial Empire just yet. Ex-
pedlency sometimes conflicts even with
when the special condi-
tlons are out of relation to the general
theory.
Oakland Tribune: We have undoubt-
edly had the last of the Geary Act. 1t
will never be enforced, and the Admins
tration will bulldoze the Democratic
Congress into repeating it at the special
session of Congress, or into modifying it
50 that it will be valueless.
Red Bluff Sentinel: The work of de-
portation should be begun at once, and
the money part of the question should be
provided for later. Threats of retaliation
and war should not retard the enforce
ment OF a law that will prove blessing
TO thousands of our own flesh and blood.
Reno Gazette: One of the most salutary
effects of the clean-cut decisions of the
supreme Court of the United States,
affirming the conStitutionality of the
Geary law, will be the demonstration to
the masses of the Chinese that The Six
Companies, which rule them, are not ON
nipotent in this country.
Truckee Repu6HcdR: This is good for
California, and we hope that every China
man who is not registered will be sent
home. There will, doubtless, be further
attempts made to juggle with the law.
The Constitution, however, seems to
make it the duty of the President to en-
force the law, and not to stand in the way
OF its enforcement. Let the Chinese 90.
They have had every opportunity to
register, but they preferred to defy the
law. We can get along without them.
San Jose Mercury: 1t is hardly likely
that any attempt will be made to deport
a few men under law which many men
have violated. The law, if enforced at
all, should be enforced impartially, and
we may expect, therefore, that little or
nothing Will be done under 1t until Con-
gress has either appropriated money suf-
tlcient to carry it out, or consents TO allow
the Chinese another year in which to
avail themselves of the privilege of regis
tering.
Santa Cruz Sentinel: UnQer the decision
the first steps towards the deportation of
tens of thousands of Cinnamon would
already have been taken if it had not
been for the failure of the Economical
retormers" now in power at Washington
to provide funds TO carry out the law,
The people will make note of this for
future reference and use when they get
ready to square accounts with those
statesmen who talked anti-Chincse and
voted pro- Chinese by opposing the needed
appropriation to accomplish the object of
the law which they pretended to support.
Merced Star: Now that the Act has
been declared constitutional there is no
longer any excuse for President Cleve-
land to suspend" the execution of the
law. 1t is his duty to go ahead and en-
force the laws of the country that elected
him President. If not enough money has
been appropriated to carry out the laws it
is his duty to call Congress together, and
inform them that 100000 aliens are DEFY
ing the mandate of the Supreme Court,
and ask for further appropriation TO carry
out the law.
San Jose Herald: Nobody doubts that
the great majority of the people are in
favor of the most stringent enforcement
of the law which their representatives in
Congress, after almost endless discussion.
placed upon the statute books, and vet
the Government adopts all kinds of ex-
pedients and makes all sorts of excuses
TO delay its enforcement. More even
than this. There is no doubt that the
great majority of the people are in favor
of laws quite as stringent in their pro-
visions as this Geary Act to prevent the
immigration of all kinds of foreigners of
the same class and character as the
coolies from China. 1t cannot, therefore,
be truthfully said that the sentiment
against the coolies is a mere prejudice of
race, since the same sentiment exists and
is continually growing against the admis-
sion Of the low and vicious and depraved
OF any race.
Fresno ECpoSitOr: Under the Geary
law nearly 100000 Chinese would be sub
ject to deportation If they did not register.
To be depOrted they must be arrested and
sent under guard to some common point
or points to be put on shipboard by force
and sent away. Many of them are prop
erty-owners and taxpayers. Many have
children born in this country, for whose
deportation the law makes no provision.
But by sweeping decree all not native
without discrimination were to be de-
ported regardless of what property had
to be left or what families divided! Faced
by such responsibility civilized Gov
ernment may well move with caution.
Not only are the gravest international
issues involved, but the character of our
country amongst the nations is at stake
Los Angeles Express: The evils of
Chinese immigration, though great have
been small compared to what they would
be were there no restriction imposed
upon the coming of the Asiatics.
But for the efforts made to check the i'll
vasion, the United States by this time
would have millions of the coolies in
stead of 100000. The number that have
come have but served to indicate how
vast would be the injury to free Ameri-
can labor if the country were left to be
overrun by these human ants from Asia.
Kern County Echo: One step-and 1t is
by no means an unimportant one-has
been gained, however. The point has
been established that our laws, the law
of nations and our treaty rights and obli-
cations, give us the power and the right to
place stringent restrictions on the coming
and the residence here of alien peoples
VIII there now arise a party with suili-
cient courage to tackle the problem?
1t requires little or no moral or
political courage to say "the Chinese
must CO." Any one could afford to de-
spise aud buffet them, for they were a
powerless horde, from a political stand
point. They could not vote. With all
other natiOnalities seeking our shores the
case is different. Before any one can
solve the evil of other mmigration-aud
the evil is admitted-he must become an
office-seeker; and both he and his party
will be inclined to fight shy of too open a
declaration against the further immigra-
tion of any or all other peoples.
Oakland Times: We must accord the
Chinese Government the same right TO
regulate their internal policy concerning
American residents in that country that
we have assumed regarding the Chinese
WEkTY YEARS
TIE LEAHERIII