Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-04-02
CHINESE EXCLUSION.

the time Is not far distant when Con.
gressmen will find no popularity in
pandering to 1t. Why the admission
of the exempt classes of Chinese i'm.
migrants, which is the only question
under discussion, should be treated as
affecting only the Pacific Coast is not
at all clear. In the cotton manufactur.
ing States of the South and of New
England the preservation and expan.
sion of the present trade with China
is matter of vital necessity, and that
fact has been stated with sufficient
emphasis before the Senate Commit.
tee on immigration by representatives
from both sections. The prosperity OF
an important branch of New York bus.
mess is dependent on the continuance
of that trade, and to the approaching
demand from a Refrigerated and pro.
gressive China for railroad and cleo.
trical equipment, and for all the innu.
merable products OF our mechanical
industry likely to secure market
among three or four hundred millions
of people, the workshops of the United
states must look for an outlet for their
surplus. The San Francisco Chamber
of Commerce, therefore, expresses
sentiment which should find an echo
in every important commercial and In.
dustrial center of the country in de.
claring 1t to be of the utmost impor.
lance that all facilities of commerce
and the courtesies due to a friendly
nation should be extended to that class
OF the Chinese Empire which oper-
ates, controls and has in itself the
means and power of furthering a
trade which, under favorable condi.
lions and by the assistance of broad
governmental policy, is destined to as.
sumo vast proportions. In marked
contrast to the demands of the labor
unions, which are calculated to ex.
clude every Chinaman, whatever his
class or occupation, the San Francisco
merchants have asked for more liberal
legislation than that now existing, so
as to grant unrestricted entrance into
the United States to all merchants and
members OF the mercantile class of
China, such as statesmen, clerks, buy.
ers, bookkeepers, accountants, mana.
gers, storekeepers, bankers and cash.
iers."
The Senate Committee has appar.
NhN'y eNNNptNu PiNd thul tut bO-
called Pacific Coast bill merely crys.
tallizes into law the present practices
and rulings OF the Treasury Depart
ntent. That involves the curious as.
sumption that the Department has
been, in its practices and rulings on
this subject, law unto itself. As Mr.
IIamlin puts 1t: THE astonishing ro.
suit Is reached that an administrative
department of the Government is de.
huerately violating a treaty by rulings
which are as plainly in violation of eX-
listing law as of the treaty itself, and
yet the courts are powerless to inter.
fere. II is rather to be believed that
said bill represents the hopes and as.
pirations of the Treasury Department
rather than its actual practices. and
rulings" II should be borne in mind
that under the Act of August IS, 1894,
amending the Geary law for which the
pending bill Is offered as substitute,
all appeals to the courts from Treas.
ury rulings as to Chinese were taken
away and the rulings Of the Treasury
Department made final. The courts
have construed this Act to forbid their
taking Jurisdiction, even where the de-.
cision OF the Treasury officials or of
The Secretary of the Treasury on ap.
peal is manifestly in disregard of law.
A situation has thus been created
which moved Attorney General Knox
to say, in an opinion given to the Sec.
rotary of the Treasury last month.
that under the peculiar nature and
language of those laws il is not ros.
sible to recognize the appeal to con,
siderations of elementary justice and
humanity, or to bring the case within
the scope Of an act of executive elem.
ency: The Chinese Exclusion laws
are necessarily rigorous and of the
highest degree OF technicality, and dc
not permit the imposition OF maxims
Of equity which commend and com
naLd judicial authorities to search
with scrupulous care for way to dc
Justice when the technicalities of the
law present distractions" The pres
: ent Commissioner of immigration has
/ distinguished himself by making til,
operation OF the law as oppressive al
possible, and the absurdity of giyin,
a kind of despotic authority and final
, ity to the acts of himself and his sub
ordinr;es has become painfully appaI
ent. The idea of crystallizing into Law
a course OF procedure which the com
monest dictates of justice condemn
. ought to be too preposterous to re
| ceive serious consideration.
y II requires no argument to show tina
Y the question of Chinese exclusion ca
a only be complicated and removed fal
ther from any prospect of satisfactor
adjustment by accepting the dictatlo
OF the Pacific Coast delegation to Cor
-, gree. A majority of that body ar
plainly Influenced by the lowest die
5 tates of partisan eXpediency, an
o neither respect for national good fait
0 nor fJr the legitimate demands @
S commerce will admit Of such a quei
: ton being dealt with in this way.
}. Is as true today as when President Al
thur, la demonstrating with Congress
against unwlse legislation on this sui
ject, spoke Of the incalculable futur
y which depended on our friendly an
amicable relations with Asia remain
u ing undisturbed It is absolutely ce
: tain that the policy which Is appaI
r emily about to receive the sanction [