The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-06

plane. and the Inevitable tendency Is 20
bring American labor TO their undesirable
level. Can il be possible that American Ia
Dor and Chinese labor can work side by
side. the one receiving less than the other
in wages and subsisting upon much less
than the other? IL follows as night the day
that the lower paid and lower fed Will
cause his higher paid and better fed com
petitor 10 come down 10 his unfortunate
condition. Against this We enter our pro-
test We do it from no ungenerous motive
toward the Chinese empire; we do II out
Of national self-respect and in our national
self-interest, and no one can justly chal-
lenge the wisdom of our policy.
SELF PROTECTION.
I'VE enter upon no denunciation of the
Chinese empire or upon any wholesale ar
%raignment of her subjects. There are Chi
nese scholars Of renown, statesmen Of
ability, merchants Of honor and sagacity,
but they are not of the classes which are
so unattractive TO US.
I'VE exclude contract laborers from all
countries. No contract laborer, whether
from the United Kingdom or any country
In continental Europe or elsewhere, IS per
mitted TO enter the gates at Ellis island.
The exclusion OF Chinese labOrers, whether
under contract or not, is dictated solely by
the same motives and in the interest OF
American labor and Of American civiliza-
ton.
Some question has arisen as 70 whether
the law should operate beyond the term
of the Gresham treaty Of 1894, it being sug-
gested that the present bill should termi-
nate with the expiration of that treaty.
The sixth article of the treaty provides
that-This convention shall remain in
force for a period Of ten years, beginning
with the date of the exchange of ratifica-
lions, and If, six months before the expira-
ton Of said period of ten years, neither gov
ernment shall have formally given notice
of its final termination to the other, it
shall remain in full force for another like
period of ten years.
cit thus will be seen that unless one or
the other Of the high contracting PARTIES
shall elect to terminate the treaty and
notify the other to that effect six months
before the expiration OF the period Of ten
years. the treaty will continue in full vir-
tue and effect an additional decade. So.
whether the treaty shall terminate in 1904
will depend upon the fact as TO whether
either of the powers parties thereto shall
denounce II at the end of the first ten years.
THE pending measure is not in contra
Vention OF the terms of the treaty, and 1t is
not necessary tina a time limit should now
be fixed. If enacted into law it will be i'm
force so long as Congress wills and no
longer. The Congress may repeal ii when
ever it deems that the public welfare shall
so require. 1t may allow IL TO stand upon
the statute books until Dec. Z, 1904 (when
the treaty may be terminated in the dis
cretlon OF either powerl' or for an addi-
limit Of the treaty, or longer as Ii shall
deem best in the national interest. During
cannot be said to cOntravene any of our in
ternationai obligations for it but gives force
and effect to the provisions of the treaty.
CHINA'S ATTITUDE.
"Our policy of the exclusion of Chinese
laborers has been maintained so long. and
the reasons for fits maintenance are so well
known to the Chinese empire, and are as
cOgent now as ever, that il is entirely prob
able that that great power will desire that
the treaty shall continue for the maximum
term of twenty years. If it shall be thought
after the expiration OF the treaty that our
exclusion policy should not rest alone upon
an act of the Congress, then, in advance of
the expiration of the treaty. a supplemental
or additional treaty may be negotiated by
the two governments, which shall fully
acknowledge the right OF the United States
to maintain in full force the policy en-
bodied i'm existing treaties and laws.
IF there be any just apprehension that
the Gresham treaty will be denounced by
the Chinese empire in 1904, and that, in con-
sequence, the measure before the Senate
thereafter may be In derogation Of any
treaty obligations, we may assume that the
executive department, upon which the
duty Of negotiating treaties d~evolves under
the Constitution, will take all necessary
and timely steps to negotiate a treaty
which shall sanction the right of the Con-
of the national faith. to deal in its wisdom
with the subject of the exclusion of Chinese
laborers from the United States and all ter
ritOry within its jurisdiction.
The necessity of an early enactment of
the pending measure is urgent. On Nav )
next the act approved May 5, 1892. known
as the Geary law, and which continued in
force the then existing laws, will expire.
and the executive department will be with
out the requisite authority and power to
debar from admission the Chinese whose
exclusion is so essential I'm the interest Of
the laborers of the United States upon the
Pacific coast and elsewhere.
MIR. President. that the Congress has the
most plenary power to enact into law the
bill before us there can be no doubt. for the
power TO exclude undesirable aliens is an
inherent attribute Of national sovereignty
Our laws with respect to the exclusion of
Chinese labOrers should be stringent. and
they should be so administered that they
will be effective. This is in the mutual in
terest of the United States and the Chinese
empire, for it will avoid inevitable friction
and discomfort and the disturbance of those
friendly relations which always have sub
sisted and which now happily exist between
the two great powers"