The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-24
CREATED GREAT SURPRISE.
Reason to Believe it Will Be Fought
to Finish.


Washington, March 23.-Some surprise
is manifested in administration circles
at the opposition that has already de-
lveloped to the new Chinese treaty.
'The new treaty." said one of those
who spoke for the state department, sis
the outcome of months of patient work
and skilful negotiation, and it was
hoped the state department had sue
ceeded at last in settling in a manner
entirely satisfactory the question of
regulating Chinese immigration. For
nearly ten years this subject has been
a source of trouble and the public has
surely appreciated the danger to which
the country has been exposed of a total
severance of friendly relations with
China, with the probable loss of our
valuable commercial relations with that
country. The correspondence which has
passed during that time between the
state department and the diplomatic
representative of the Chinese govern
ment however, makes this very clear,
for the Chinese have used some severe
language in charging our government
with a deliberate violation of treaties.
80 in negotiating the treaty now be-
fore the Senate for ratification, the adj
ministration felt it had achieved some
very desirable results, for not only had
it set at rest the morally sound COM
plant of China, but had at the same
time preserved in the form of sacred
treaty obligations. all of the restrictive
features of the existing Chinese re-
striction laws that, in the opinion of the
department were worthy of perpetual
ton This result vas secured with the
Ientire approval of the Chinese govern
!ment There was a reasonable certain
jty also that the treaty would meet the
approval of the Senate unless there
had been a great change in public
!opinion within the past few years, for
it was framed on the lines OF the treaty
negotiated by Secretary Bayard in 1887,
(which had received the unqualified
sanction of the Senate.
ct is felt that some of the criticisms
which have been passed upon the new
treaty are unreasonable or else have
been made under misconcepuon OF
the exact scope of the instrument. Such,
for instance, is said to be the statement
that the treaty opens the way to fraud
in that it will permit Chinese who leave
the United States with the express de-
termination to return, to sell their pa
pers to other Chinese and thus keep UP
a stream of immigration. AS matter
of fact, the treaty enforces the closest
collection at immigration ports and the
officers may frame their regulations re-
garding the identity of Chinese return
ing to America with such completeness
as to make it absolutely impossible fol
any substitution to take place and thus
insure the country against further I'M
migration of Chinese.
"As to the objection that has beer
made to the treaty provision allowing
the Chinese government to place SINH
liar restriction, etc, upon the immigra
ton of American laborers into China, /
lis urged by the friends of the treat!
. that no great hardship will be worked
for in the first place, it is doubtful
, whether the Chinese government viii
, ever exercise the power it reserves II
: this particular, and in the second plac
there are probably not more than tw'
: score American laborers in all China a
this time who would be affected, evel
, should the section be made operative.
The Pacific delegation in Congress
are eagerly discussing its terms, 0
which all the information they have i
r the Associated Press dispatches.
Representative Geary, of California
E the author of the Geary act, said h
: expected to read the treaty CAREFUL
. during the day. Until then he woul
!, give no opinion on its effect on tn
Geary law and its general effect in ad
hitting Chinese.
The other Democratic congressme
from California were adverse to expires
sing their views.
in condemning the treaty.
Representative Powers, of California
said: This treaty is a part of tn
> general sympathy of the present ad
: ministration with the Chinese. TIL
a theory of the Geary law was sharpl
: restrictive and the theory of thi
: treaty is to nullify the restrictions"
e Representative Hilborn. who wa
5, United States district attorney durin
a the first prosecution of Chinese unde
Y the original exclusion law, said of tn
}, new treaty: The reported features {
r the new treaty providing that Amer
/, can laborers in China shall register
J meaningless, as we have not more tina
2, fifty American laborers in that cour
$ try. If there was to be any reciprocit
d it should have been in protectin
e Americans in China. Our people, mi
n sionaIies and others, take their liv;
in their hands when they 20 twent