St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-24

WASHINGTON, March 23.-Some sur
prise is manifested in administration
circles at the opposition that has already
developed to the new Chinese treaty
The new treaty, said one who spoke for
the state department today, is the out
come of months of patient work and
skillful negotiation, and it was hoped
that the state department had sue
ceeded az last in settling. in manner
which would be entirely satisfactory,
the question of regulating Chinese im-
migration. For nearly ten years the
subject has been a source of trouble.
and the public has surely appreciated
the danger to which the country has
been expo sed of a total severance
friendly relations with China. with the
probable loss of our valuable CONNER
cial relations with that country. The
correspondence which has passed in
that time between our state department
and the diplomatic representatives of
the Chinese government, however, make
this very clear, for the Chinese have
used some very severe language in
charging our government with a de-
liberate
VIOLATION OF THE TREATY.
So in negotiating the treaty now be-
fore the senate for ratification the ad-
mlnistration felt that il had achieved
some very desirable results, for not
only hadit set at rest the complaint Of
the Chinese government, but mad at the
same time preserved in the form of
sacred treaty obligations all the re-
strictive features of the present restrict
i've laws that, in the opinion of the GOV
ernment, were worthy of perpetuation.
This result was secured by the entire
approval OF the Chinese government.
There was a reasonable certainty also
that the treaty would meet with the ap-
pruval OF the senate, unless there has
been great change in public opinion
within the past few years, for it was
framed Oh the lines of the treaty ne
gotiated by Secretary Bayard in 1887,
which had received the unqualified
sanction of the senate. 1t is felt that
some of the criticisms which have
passed upon the new treaty
ARE UNREASONABLE.
or else have been made under a miscon-
ceptlOn of The exact scope of the instru-
ment. Such, for instance, is said to be
the complaint that the treaty opens the
way TO fraud in that it will permit
Chinese who leave the United States
with the express determination to re-
turn. to sell their papers to other Chi
nese, and thus keep up stream OF i'm
migration. As a matter of fact, the
treaty clothes the collectors of customs
at immigrant ports with the widest
measure of discretion in this particu-
lar, and they may frame their reguia-
tons relative to indentification of CHI
nese returning 10 America with such
completeness as to make it absolutely
impossible for any substitution to take
place, and thus insure the country
against further immigration of Chinese
As TO the objection that has been
made to the treaty provision allowing
the Chinese government to place sim
liar restrictions, as to certifcation, ETC.,
upon the immigration of American
laOOrers into China, it is urged by the
friends OF the treaty that no great hard
ship will be worked, for, in the first
place, it is doubtful whether the Chi
nese government ever will exercise the
power 1t reserves in this particular,
and, in the second place, there are
probably not more than two score
American labOrerS in all China at this
time who would be affected, even should
the section be made operative.
The Pacific coast delegation in con-
gress are eagerly discussing its terms.
OF which all the information they have
is the reports published in the AssOci-
ated Press dispatches. Representative
Geary. of California. the author of the
Geary act, said that he expected to read
the treaty carefully during the day. Un-
I'll then he would give no opinion on it's
effect OH The Geary law and its general
effect in admitting Chinese. The other
Democratic congressman from Califor-
MIA were averse to expressing their
views. The Republicans were very en-
phatic in condemning the treaty.