The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-29
ON THE CHINESE.
Decision of the United States
Supreme Court Not
Satisfactory.
MongolS Want the Right to Land
Here Without Going to
Law for 1t.

The decision of the Supreme Court re.
garding Chinese has caused CONSERVATION
in the camp of the Celestials. Some OIL
their number can handle the English
language with sufficient force to appreciate
the import of the opinion rendered and to
realize that hereafter they must appeal to
law to enter the United States.
That the case is serious as far as the Six
Companies are concerned is realized from
the fact that when Thomas D. Riordan,
their attorney, was seen he said
81 have always advised the Six Com
panies that the decision was likely to be
adverse upon the ground that the tenor OF
opinions which have been handed down in
the past few years are contrary to their
wants."
what do you think" was asked, twill
be the effect of this decision upon the
Chinese merchants now in China?''
Nh. Riordan replied: ~ do not believe
that any Injurious results will follow. The
merchants who are now in China have
long ago filed with the Collector proofs OF
their identity, and it is not likely that any
OF them will be denied admission into the
country upon their return. The Chinese
contend, however, for their fundamental
right to the equal protection of the laws
and will invoke all process of law commonly
uHoe SIoou W pe dpEllcdDIe TO all people,
whether white, black or copper-coiored.
1t was this invasion of their domiciliary
right against which they struggled without
success.
'The only remedy lies in an appeal to
the fairness and sense of Justice ever up-
permost in the minds of the real states
men of the country, and the oppressive
character OF this legislation will no doubt
be corrected by modification of the law,
you must understand that this law
vestlng the collector with plenary power to
land or exclude Chinese merchants was
passed entirely without consideration by
Congress, by making it a rider, hidden in
the yolumlnous mass of the big appropria-
ton bill always passed in the closing
considered at all, it would not have ap-
peared upon our statute books, and 1 be-
lieve. furthermore, that it will RAPIDLY dis
appear whenever the time comes to con-
slider it.
"The Chinese are a law-loving people
thoroughly indoctrinated with respect for
the institutions of the country where thew
live, and they will with characteristic
resignation submit to the existing law so
long as it is in force.
"Of course no law of Congress could at
tempt to abridge the rights of a native
born Chinese to writ of habeas corpus.
TO show you the unfairness of this
legislation and how it may be made an in
strument of oppression, I would saw to
you that only recently serious attempt
was made in our Federal courts here to
have the court construe this law so that it
would also exclude native-born Chinese
from the right Of petition for habeas
corpus. To the honor of Judge Morrow 1
will say that this unreasonable contention
was promptly overruled by him."
The Chinese themselves do not look
upon the subject in the same light. In
fact, they consider the action of the Su-
preme Court serious matter, and will
discuss the proposition from Native Son
point Of view at the next meeting of the
local parlor. The question was also dis
cussed at the night school ia an incidental
way last night, but no action was taken
regarding any plan of procedure to offset
the decision of the court.