The herald., 1893-05-04

THE GOVERNMENT ciRcuMvENrsD.

THE GOVERNMENT CiRCUMVEHTBD.
The time for the registration Of Chi
nese will expire tomorrow. Not one in
hundred-nay, not one in a thousand
has complied with the law. The Chi
nese Six Companies, who seem to be
above the law, and have proved thsm-
selves in this instance stronger than an
act Of congress, ordered their country
men to pay no attention TO it, and these
have dutifully obeyed. Instead OF going
after and pnnishing the contemptuous
companies for their rebellious attitude.
the government has not only condoned
their offense, but has actually co oper-
ated with them TO secure the null
LITIGATION of the law, by suspending
it until decieion on its constitutionality
can be obtained by the supreme court.
This is an entire reversal OF the principle
of Tedburg justice, which provided for
the hanging OF the prisoner first and
then investigating into his guilt. The
inhibited people are allowed to defeat
the possibility of registration, and then
we are to find out whether registration
is legal or not.
The Geary law plainly provides that
all Chinese shall register. and with the
certificate in their possession they would
bave the evidence of their right to re-
main in the country. But they must do
this on or before the 9th of May, 1898
II they have not registered by that date
il ia ipso fdcto evidence that they have
no right to domicile in the country, and
the penalty is deportation. Now, if the
supreme court decides the law to be con-
stitutional there is nothing left for the
government to do but to deport those
who come under its ban. There is no
way in which the latter can purge them
selves Of the ofTense; for the time will
have passed when they can legally regis
ter themselves.
But will the government have the
nerve to carry out what the law makes
1t its plain duty to do? No one believes
it will. The same spirit of forbesrance
and of Difference to the defiant attitude
OF the Chinese will operate to make the
government hesitate to forcibly extrude
the several hundred thousand Chinese
who have de6ed registration. The su-
preme court may not render its decision
for months after case has been made
up, argued and submitted, and the gov
ernment will doubtless in the meantime
look for an escape from the dilemma in
which it has placed itself by new act
OF congress which will cure the difficulty
that has been permitted to arise.
All this honeyfugling and temporizing
on the part OF our government will con-
firm the willy Chinaaa in their ability tn
against their coming here. In 1882 a
Law was passed to restrict Chinese :m-
migration, through which they passed as
water runs through an open gate. The
act was amended in 1884, but it still
failed to perform the function for which
it was designed. Then came the exclu-
sion act itself, in 1888. That act denied
the Chinese privileges which the treaty
had granted them, but the supreme
court held it to be constitutional as
later expression of the will OF the peo-
Pile than the treaty, which holds the
same place under the constitution as an
act of congress-. In practice it was found
that the exclusion act did not exclude,
but that the Chinese came in rs numer-
ously as ever over the boundary lines OF
our country at the north and at the
south. 1t was found that the only way
to make the exclusion law effective was
to require the Chinese already in the
country to register, and the Geary bill
provided that this should be done.
But now, after all this legislation, cul-
mnating in an act to make exclusion
effective, we are to be treated with an
other huge failure. Chinese cunning
and presumption have proved too much
for us, and it is no wonder that they
hold us and our laws in contempt. The
Chinese six companies, who are all
powerful with the Mongolians, seem also
to be all powerful with our own govern
ment, az far as Chinese questions are
concerned. Heretofore they have coined
money out OF their countrymen by
smuggling them into the United States.
They were not willing to forego this
great source OF revenue, 80 thev sci
themselves to the tack to outwit oul
government, and they have done 20 in 8
manner so thorough and complete ae tc
place us IN most ridiculous light be-
fore the Chinese and everybody else.
The government at Washington may
rule Americans; but the Chinese six
companies rule their own people in def
/ ance Of all we NAV do to the contrary.
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RIVERSIDE is now iull-tledged politi
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