Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-05-15


ow or brown man need apply. He 10
not rejected on account Of his color.
That might lead to international COM
plications. He is rejected on other
grounds, illiteracy, knowledge OF no
language. or for other reason. The
law Is administered 30 that no col
pred man can get into Australia. A
captain, on whose steamer i've China
men came as stowaways. was nned
81, 500. At the Queensland ports Gus
toms officers are specially vigilant IN
looking out for undesirable immi-
grants. Two grave. military-appear'
ing individuals. wearing caps that bore
the label H. NJ. Customs" might have
been seen in my cabin. as the steamer
at Brisbane. They turned over
every article of furniture and every
bit of bed clothing in the berth to dis-
cover whether or not q Chinaman hao
been therein concealed. with or with
out my knowledge. ! was not to De
permitted to disturb the Australia
or-the-white-man" policy.
Regarding only one part OF Aus
tralia there is serious consideration
Of a reversal of the white-Australia
policy. This part is in the northern
territory, an immense. undeveloped
region. lying within the tropics. where
1t has. up to the present time. been
found impossible to colonize white
men. There are six states constitu-
ting the commonwealth of Australia:
New South Wales, Victoria, Queens
land, South Australia, Western Aus
tralia and Tasmania. The northern
territory is directly administered by
the federal government, while the
states have even larger self-govern-
ment than the states Of the American
union. The white men cannot or. at
least, will not live in the northern
territory. though 1t has much rich and
fertile land. In an area larger than
that part Of the United States lying
east of the Mississippi river. are less
than two thousand whites. The cen
sus statistics show that this popula.
ton has increased just q in q years
The northern territory remains large.
" inaccessible until the construction
Of the transcontinental railway. which
Is projected. This railway and more
insistent immigration schemes may
change the conditions, q section Of
the Australian press and public favor
departing from the white-Australis
policy far enough to permit colored la
Dor to enter the northern territory. t.
do what one Australian called the don
key work" In development. This sec
ton is in the minority. however, and
will doubtless remain so until 1t !:
demonstrated that other plans Of set
Element and development have beer
tried, and 1t has been conclusivel!
shown that the occupancy of thu
northern territory by the white mai
Is impossible. II there be evil re
sulting from the experiment in de
mocracy. the white man. the Britor
away from Great Britain. is response
BILE and the white man alone.
democracy 20 the Limit.
The Australian federal constitution
modelled upon the Constitution of thu
United States. carries to the farthes
limit the principle of trusting tn
people. Every adult. man or woman
has an equal voice in the election o
both houses of parliament. There 4
no property qualification and no cir
cumstance entities any citizen to NOR
than one vote. In actual practice
however. as Frank Fox. keen observe
and long resident Of Australia. pointe'
out, 1T has been found that the prin
ciple Of federalism imposes a checl
ON the actions of the Australian parl
ament, which is deeply resented b.
the advanced labor leaders. and tn
Inconvenience of which is acknow
edged by others. The constitution TO
lowed somewhat closely the Unite
States model. and reserved very larg
powers to the states-far larger. TO
example. than the states or province
have in Canada. To provide tina
there should not be any arbitrary er
croachment on state rights. state
house was set up. in which house-th
senate-the tiny state Of Tasmani
has equal representation with the yer
large state Of New South Wales. Alst
the respective power of the states q
the federation were defined by tn
written constitution and the hig
court of the commonwealth was mad
the guardian and interpreter Of ths
constitution"
This high court. 1t may be observed
has kept a jealous watch for an
trespasses by the federal power o
state rights. and has declared a gres
deal of the federal legislation "uncol
stitutional." and therefore invalid. b.
cause it went beyond the powers 81
en- to the federation or commonwealth
by the constitution. This has create