Speech #470037962

It is a wise provision. It works no unnecessary hardship. and it is not unjust or onerous in any sense of the word. I take it. sir. that it would be the most unreasonable thing :br the Chinese Government to insist that in the regulations that we shall make for restricting immigration of Chinese labor we may it ot. if need be. resort to the passport system. There is no other in terferonce which we propose to apply to them except the passpozt provision . and that certainly is not an onerous exaction. For these reasons I an in favor of that provision in reference to passpor s. and in favor of every portion of this bill in all its paragraphs. I am entirely in favor of it. Mr. Speaker. whenever the people of this country shall say to the people of the.Pacific coast that the Chinaman is equal with the representative of afIty other nationmlity. that we propose to naturalize him. that we propose. if you please. to place around him all the conditions which may tend to make him assimilate with the people. the free people of this land. to bear its burdens. to create the products that belong to the great continent. and to multiply our wealth. then. and then only. will it be time for gentlemen to discuss sentir tental questions. But we have been proposing in our past policy to put down -mong the laboring population of that portion of our common countiy men not citizensmen under contracts which would not be permitt id under the laws of any State of this Union. because subversive o " individual liberty. A population of 75.000 of this class. ignorant. pagan. andpolygamons. no families with them . coming to oflend the d( uency of our people by surrounding themselves with 4.000 female prostitutes.