Evening star., 1902-02-06
Chinese Exclusion Approved by Cali
fornians Generally.
NOTCONFlNED TO LABOR AGITAqORS"
Ex-Mayor Phelan Of San Fran
cisco Gives His Views
BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE

t
missioners appointed by the governor to ]
represent the state before the committees |
of Congress, advocated the exclusion of the |
Chinese before the House committee on |
foreign affairs today.
I'm a note to the State Department. he |
said. Minister WI Ting-Fang attributes
opposition to the Chinese coolies to labor |
agitators.' He desires to create the i'm
preston that the exclusion policy is not |
approved by the people generally. BY
referendum taken in the state of Califor-
mia, when the same question was first
raised, 154, ,63S votes were cast for exclusion
and $50 votes against. Recently the board
of supervisors of San Francisco called |
convention to voice the sentiments OF the
state Boards of trade and manufactures, |
civil societies, labor organizations and pub |
lie bodies were invited to send limited num-
bers of delegates.
There were 5000 delegates enrolled at |
the convention, and, without a single dis |
seuting voice, Congress was memorlalized
to re-enact the exclusion laws. Among the |
delegates actually present and participating
We're not only the representatives, OF laoor
organizations, but of the Manufacturers
and Producers Association, the Merchants
Association and the California state board
of trade, speaking for the employers of la
Dor. The president of the Manufac.urers
and Producers Association read an address
in which he declared that the interests OF
his association demanded white labor, and
that the presence of the Chinese kept them
out of the state. California can support
20, ,0o0, 900 people, but after fifty years we
can count only 100000. What working
man will come at great expense for trans
portation to California to meet the competl-
ton of the Chinese coolies? That is the
reason why the most productive state in
the Union suffers in population and lags in
manufactures.
Sentiment of the People.
1--WE have unanimous public press a
unanimous delegation in Congress ana the
memorial of a unanimous convention, which
petition for a renewal Of these acts. On
the other side are the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Company, the Canadian railway, the
Chinese diplomatic representatives, several
retained attorneys and returned missiona-
ries. They urge no public reason for the
admission of Chinese. They have finally
agreed before this committee to consent to
the renewal of the Geary law for two years,
when, it is stated, the treaty Of 1894 will
expire But it will not expire then unless
China or the United States gives six
months notice of it's intention to terminate
it. Otherwise it will continue for ten years.
But in the language of the preamble OF the
treaty the government Of China says that
in view of the antagonism which the pres
ence of Chinese laborers have given rise to,
it desires to prohibit the emigration Of such
laborers from China to the United States
Here is a solemn declaration of inten-
tion. The antagonism still remains and
China cannot consistently give the notice.
If we renew the exclusion laws now, we do
| so with the full approval OF China. Such
| laws, however, treaty no treaty, as de-
| cided by the Supreme Court, are supreme.
But by acting now Congress will act in full
| accord with our treaty rights and oblisa-
| tions and not as in 1888, when China re-
| jected treaty after the exclusion law of
| that year was passed.
! Re-Enactment of Geary Law.
| why do the attorneys and others con-
| sent to the re-enactment of the Geary law
for two years? Let us define terms.
They mean by the Geary law the act OF
May 5, 1892, which expires next May.
I'VE mean by asking the 're-enactment OF
the exclusion laws which Is the language
of the memorial, the laws, including the
Geary law, which now prevail. We include
also the Scott law of 1888 and the treasury
rules and practice enforced by the COM
| missioner general Of immigration
| I'VE have incorporated, therefore, tft
Geary law, the Scott law and the rules and
practice Of the Treasury Department in a
tee. Should the Geary law alone, as it is
be re-enacted, It would be exposed to two
| great dangers arising out of the fact that
| 1t would possibly have to stand alone with
out those provisions of the Scott law and
| the treasury rules on which we rely.
In the Supreme Court.
Mr.. Evarts has cases now in the Su-
preme Court which specifically attack the
validity Of the Scott law. That law was
passed in 1888, and was to go into effect on
the ratification of the treaty with China
then pending. That treaty was never rati-
fed, and it is not unlikely that the Supreme
Court will declare the Scott law invalid
That would strike off the statute books one
half of the provisions of the exclusion law
now in force.
| IN another case Mr.. Evarts has attacked
| the whole body of the treasury rules and
practice applied to the Chinese in transit,
on the ground that the treaty Of 1894 pro-
| vides that the Chinese may pass through
the United States from one country to an
other, subject to such regulations by the
government Of the United States as may be
necessary. The contention is that this pro-
vision requires act of Congress, and Is
not satisfied by the rules Of one Of the de-
partments Of the government.
"It will at once appear that the attorneys
for the Chinese advocate the re-enactment
of the Geary law for two years because, in
case of decision from the Supreme Court
favorable to them, the law Will be valueless
| for the purpose for which 1t was designed
by Congress, viz, the exclusion of the Chi
nese coolie laborers
Want All Regulations in One Bill.
1--WE ask, therefore, that the bill which
embodies all the laws and regulation.
which have been proved valuable by ex
| pertence be enacted, the simple purpos'
, | being to make the legislation O.
y Congress effective. We want an ex
clusion bill that excludes. We neither de-
. | sire to be imposed upon nor to suffer Con
gress to be imposed upon In a matter of 81
| much Importance. House bill No. $3.50
t covering forty-four pages Of printed mat
| ter, cannot. therefore, be abbreviated II
legislation of this kind form becomes of al
S | much Importance as substance. We ar
dealing with people who are trained to tn,
| evasion Of the law and for twenty year,
| the government has been endeavoring t,
, | circumvent their evasions, hence the i'm
| portance of Incorporating into statute tn
: | experience of the government as expresse,
b | in the existing laws and treasury rules
;, | Without these careful provisions. any ex
| clusion act would fail"
.
Col. Heistand Ordered to MANILA