The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-12
GRESHAM AND GEARY.
The Californian Says the Law Will
Be Enforced.

L
State said that there was great response
bilty resting on his shoulders. and on Mr..
Cleveland, and on the shoulders of every
Cabinet officer and every important func-
tiOnary of the Government.
he said that he had learned from
source that he could not divulge that the
Chinese Government would take revenge
upon our missionaries in that country. and
the vengeance that might be wrecked on
innocent heads would be terrible. AL
though Mr.. Gresham declined to give the
source of this alarming information Geary
shrewdly surmised that it had come from
the Chinese Minister himself. Gresham
intimated, too, that President Cleveland
quite agreed with himself that no pre-
cautions should be spared to insure the
safety of our missionaries in China.
When Gresham told Geary this the Cali
foruian said: What rot is all this?
There is no danger of any vengeance
being wreaked on our missionaries. for the
Chinese Government we'll understands that
if even a hair of one of the Americans in
China is harmed the Pacific Coast people
would have a revenge on the Chinese that
would be terrible in its results"
Mr.. Geary said further that if Chinese
Minister to this country ten years ago
should have dared to threaten revenge he
would have been stoned out of the country.
Geary expressed his disgust that Chinese
Minister'S threats of retaliation should
have any influence whatever upon the
policy of the administration.
Gresham said that the Chinese ought to
be given another year in which to register
under the terms Of Representative
Everett's bill. Mr.. Gresham said he
| thought certainly that Geary would favor
such an extension. as Senator Dolph had
expressed himself in its favor.
Mr.. Geary responded that Senator
Dolph's views did not influence his own in
the least.
Gresham had some talk with McCreary
aside and when the Californian and Ken
tuckian were leaving the State, War and
Navy building the latter, who is e weak
vassal, said: "The administration wants
me to call meeting of the Foreign Com
mittee Immediately and put Everetts bill
through. What am l to do? ?"
Mr.. Geary told this weak sister to do his
simple duty aud not consider himself
bound 10 obey the dictates of the Presi-
dent nor of any member of his Cabinet.
| Before leaving the State Department
Gresham advised Geary to call on Cleve-
land. The Californian protested that this
was the Presidents private day and that
he would see no one.
mo matter" said Gresham, she will see
you." and accordingly Geary went and was
received by the autocrat. Cleveland's
wishes were found by Geary to have been
expressed by Gresham. They were the
same, that is, that the Chinese should De
given another chance. Mr.. Geary declared
emphaticaly to President Cleveland that
even if Everetts bill did pass the Foreign
Affairs Committee it would never pass the
House.
81 voted against the rules that have been
adopted by the House of Representatives"
said Geary. because they were not calcu-
lated to expedite the business of the
House, but now that they have been
adopted without any help from me intend
to take advantage of their laxity and will
filibuster against this bill to the very
last. There can be no cloture, Mr..
President, you know there was none when
the force bill was under discussion, and l
state positively that this bill shall never
pass if l can prevent it, and I believe |
can."
have simply shrugged his shoulders.
1t is a remarkable fact. but nevertheless
truth, that McCreery was not only found
to be unfamiliar with Everett's bill, but
the Massachusetts worthy himself did not
know what was In the bill that he
fathered, for it was drawn up on SATURDAY.
at the State Department and was handed
to Everett by Assistant Secretary of State
Quincy, another Massachusetts product.
Geary has as yet received no word from
McCreery as to whether there will be a
special session of the Foreign Affairs
Committee held tomorrow or whether it
Will be deferred until the regular meeting
day. Thursday next. There is hardly
doubt that the bill will be reported by the
committee and that it will pass the House,
Notwithstanding Geary's vehementd declara-
tion that he will never permit it,
Represen tative McMillin, one OF the
oldest members of the House and one we'll
versed in parliamentary usage, give his
opinion that under the existing rules any
individual member, by posing as an
obstructionist. might be able to worry
Speaker Crisp a good deal, and Geary
swears that Everett's bin will never get
through, unless Crisp, Catchings and Out
waite, composing a majority of the Rules
Committee, bring in rnle that will force
a vote.
Geary was given to understand by Cleve-
land and Gresham that if Everett's bill
for the extension of time was passed Con-
Cress might possibly be willing to modify
the existing Chinese exclusion act. but the
Californian protested that the modi-
heatons should be made first and
then perhaps the Everett extension
bill could be passed. Geary said he
wanted the existing laws modified so as
to provide. first for the photograph of
Identification. second for prohibition of
the transit of Chinese. and third for
clear and unmistakable definition of a
Chinese "laborer" and Chinese ''mer-
chant"
Mr.. Geary declared to The CALL cor
respondent tonight that although the
administration would press Everett's bill
to early passage, the laws would be en-
forced till the money was used up. He
said that Gresham had stated to the New
York World correspondent to-day that
neither himself nor any other Cabinet