Speech #570044237

If that be correct. Mr. President. then the force and effect of the greater part of the magnificent speech delivered by the Senator from Ohio yesterday is destroyed. because that speech largely proceeded upon the theory that this bill was an unfair. an unjust. and an unconscionable effort to extend the restrictions upon Chihese immigration much beyond anything contemplated by the treaty. When we consider. moreover. that this treaty has been given this identical construction for the last ten years. not only by the lawmaking department of the Government. but by the executive department as well. and that it has been acquiesced in by China. with the exception of one letter written by the Chinese minister only two or three months ago. and evidently in contemplation of this legislation .which it was known would come before Congresswhen we consider all of these factors. in addition to the logical conclusion which must necessarily be derived from the language employed. it seems to me that there is absolutely no justice whatever in attempting to enforce upon the Senate a proposition that in the enumeration of the classes who may come here. as provided in the present bill. there is any attempt to stretch the provisions of the law one iota beyond the provisions of the treaties of 1880 and 1894. The Senator from Ohio went further and undertook to say that the Supreme Court of the United States had given a construction to our treaty obligations with China in consonance with his position.