Speech #530009379

But I shall not further dwell upon the provisions of the Geary bill. I have sufficiently referred to them to show that the act as it passed was mild in comparison to that. The provision of this law requhing Chinese laborers entitled to be and remain in the United States to secure certificates was not enacted for the purpose of excluding any Chinaman entitled under previous laws to enter or to remain in this country or for the purpose of securing the deportation of any Chinese person who under such laws was entitled to remain. The sole object of the provision was the identification of Chinese laborers lawfully in this country. so that they might be distinguished from those being smuggled across our borders. I feared. knowing as I did the character of Chinese testimony. that the provision would result largely in securing certificates by those already unlawfully here. but that could not be avoided. There was nothing degrading in the provision. and if certain gentlemen on this floor and elsewhere had not at once denounced the law as degrading and unjust to the Chinese. I have no doubt but that the provision would have been readily complied with. China had reason to complain of the Scott exclusion act. which invalidated return certificates already issued to Chinese laborers who had been in this country and gone to China with the intention of returning. and which prevented Chinese laborers in this country and departing from again returning. but she has no reason whatever to complain of the provisions of the socalled Geary act requiring registration. a provision necessary to enable this Government to intelligently and fairly enforce previous legislation. It is true that deportation may be a severe penalty for a refusal to comply with the Geary law and it may not be. There are undoubtedly many thousand Chinese laborers in this country who axe ready to return to China and would be glad to be deported at the expense of the United States. But. however severe the penalty is. it seems it is not severe enough to secure compliance with the law. The Chinese Six Companies appear to have preferred to have the Chinese laborers deported at the expense of the United States to permitting them to register and to obtain certificates of their right to remain. although the certificates were to be issued without charge and with as much regard to the convenience of the applicants as possible. The laborers were always ready to comply with the law. Some thousands. defying the Six Companies. did secure certificates and others were only prevented from doing so by the orders of the Six Cdmpanies.