The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-06-14
LABOR / IS s. b i I,

President Goppers, in the Fedora
zionist for June, pays his respects to
the bill designed. to exclude Chinese
coolies from American soil in the fol-
lowing able manner:
The United States congress has
passed, and the president has signed, a
bill enacting into law what purports
to be a measure for the exclusion of
Chinese laborers from the mainland of
the United States and it's possessions.
In point Of fact the entire measure is
as defective, deceptive and inefficient
to accomplish the desired purpose as
such piece of patchwork, of which
the present law is composed, we'll can
be.
Realizing that the exclusion law of
the past ten years, just terminated,
and which is now superseded by the
law just enacted, was spread over a
series of acts, treaty stipulatious, court
decisions and treasury regulations,
which required vast research in order
to ascertain the exact status of any
tangible features, the American Fed
Grafton of Labor representatives, to-
gether with the representatives of the
California Chinese Exclusion Conven-
ton, drafted a bill which was a codi-
fication of all these various laws,
treaties, decisions and treasury regu-
lations into a comprehensive measure
so that if it had been enacted It would
have presented to the government
officials as we'll as any student or Or
binary citizen of this or any other
country comprehensive law that any
uS~~I.k but 14 vryiS
solons of our congress decreed other
wise, and whether out of pure antagon-
| ism or Grass ignorance they have i'm
posed upon the county law. which
unless remedied soon by further legis
lation, rectifying the wrong and the
shortcomings or by the voluntary ac-
| quiescence of China as we'll as other
| foreign countries, or the Interpretation
and administration of it's provisions by
| the judicial and administrative officers
of the country, will open the mainland
of the United States to the dangers
of an overwhelming horde of Chinese
| laborers and coolies.
Under the old law, Chinese or per-
sons of Chinese descent were excluded
from the United States no matter from
whence they came. Under the law
| lust passed they can be excluded only
| when such exclusion shall be "con-
| sistent with treaty obligations"
| In no way does the law designate
that the exclusion shall be consistent
with treaty obligations with China, and
hence, while the provisions is made
that they shall be- excluded if they
come from China to the United States
or from China to the Philippine
Islands, there is no provision of law
against Chinese going to Hong Kong.
which is under the British government,
or from China to Mexico, and coming
from either of these places into the
United States.
In view of the treaties between the
United States and the governments OF
Great Britain and Mexico, providing
for free and unlimited coming and 60
ing or their citizens and subjects to
and from the United States, and with
the well-known desire on the part OF
Chinese 1aborers. to come to our .co,ln=
try and compete with American work
men, and this desire fostered and en-
couraged by the shipping and trans
portation companies, as we'll as the
nurpose Of the Chinese Six Companies
and a large number of American en-
ployers who constantly harp upon the
idea of introducing into the United
States a horde of cheap laborers, it Is
not difficult to understand the dan
ger which threatens and confrcnts the
workers of our country.
Then, again, there is a. direct invita-
ton to China to give notice six months
before December 7, 1904 that the treaty
between it and the government OF thu
United States shall terminate on thu
date named, and inasmuch as thu
present law pretends to exclude Chi
nese only when it shall be 'consisten'
with treaty obligations and upor
termination Of the treaty there will bt
neither statute law nor treaty provi
sion which in any way will deny Chi
nese coolies and laborers coming direc
from China into the mainland of thu
United States.
It is admitted by all, that the treat,
Of 1868, granting free and unrestricted
immigration Of Chinese, whether la.
borers or others, into the United
States, was not abrogated but simply
suspended by subsequent treaty stipu.
lations, and that it will come into full
force and effect upon the termination
of the present treaty unless another
specifically providing otherwise shall
be negotiated and ratified in the mean.
time.
Scarcely was the ink dry enactine
the present law when it was incident
ally attacked in the interest OF. the
Chinese A Chinaman sought admis.
sion into the United States, claiming
allegiance to Mexico, and offered tc
place bond for his return. Our gov.
eminent officials evaded rendering a
decision upon the Chinaman's right tc
enter the United States from Mexico
by declaring that he had no right to
come in under bond. Thus the main
question Is undecided, but that it soon
will have to be decided, no one serious
ly disputes.
Taking the entire law as it now
stands, it presents one OF the most con.
spicuous pieces Of bungling or vicious
legislation, or both, ever enacted. by
congress.