Chapter 23 Act 21 Judgment of Arthur

The scene is the same as Act 1. God Li: (Stands up, hits the gavel) Now announce the opening of the 21st Chamber of the "Last Judgment" (sit down).Biography of the defendant Chester Alan Arthur, the 21st President of the United States. (Arthur stands.) God Lee: You are Arthur, born in 1829, the 21st President of the United States. Arthur: Yes. God Lee: President Arthur, your predecessor, President Garfield, was stabbed to death after 6 and a half months. You became the 21st president of the United States. You were originally called a "political hack" (a political hack). You are the product of the political party's fat-sharing system and promote the fat-sharing system. The so-called "spoilsman's spoilsman" (spoilsman's spoilsman), you were originally notorious, but after you became president, you were completely different from each other and broke with your backstage boss. Draw a line with the spoils system, eh?

Arthur: God Lee is fair, I did change my past.I also pushed for the Pendleton Civil Service Act, which laid the groundwork for the American civil service, in 1883. God Lee: The first year of 1883, 1882, what did you do? Arthur: 1882?Oh, I remember, it means the "Chinese Exclusion Act"?This is the "1882 Restriction Act" (The Restriction Act of 1882).On April 4th of that year, Democratic Congressman John F. Miller proposed to pass the Chinese Exclusion Act, prohibiting Chinese workers from immigrating to the United States for 20 years;At that time, I thought that this bill violated the Sino-US Treaty of 1880 and violated the faith of the United States, so I vetoed it.

God Lee: Vetoed, but 1 month and 2 days after April 4th, what did you do?Your House of Representatives proposed a compromise case to "suspend" (suspend) all kinds of Chinese laborers from entering the United States for 10 years; other international students, tourists, businessmen, etc. must hold Chinese government certificates to go to the United States; American courts do not allow Chinese who have already lived in the United States to obtain American citizenship qualifications.This compromise was passed by Congress on May 6, and you signed it immediately.What a trick to change the soup without changing the medicine!What is suspend?On the surface, it seems that it has not violated the faith of the United States, but in fact, it has violated not only the faith, but also all morals other than the faith.

Arthur: (confused) Is it that serious? God Lee: Listen to a piece of history.After you caused trouble with black slaves, you thought of "yellow slaves" and Chinese people.You recruit so-called indentured Chinese laborers, but in fact, it has the nature of slave trade.What you call "coolie trade" is "piglet trafficking" in China. Between 1847 and 1874 in the 19th century, 400,000 to 500,000 people came to the United States and became substitutes for black slaves.At that time, the United States was short of labor, so the Chinese helped a lot. The railway across the continent of the United States was built by the blood and sweat of 10,000 Chinese workers. Isn’t it funny? In 1869, when the railway was completed and the celebration ceremony was held, Chinese workers were not allowed to participate. You Americans are really stingy.Not only was it stingy, but the next year, 1870, came the Discrimination Act against Chinese Workers, the two most famous of which were the Cubic Air Law and the Queue Ordinance. The Cubic Air Act states that bedrooms must have 500 cubic feet of fresh air to pass.Chinese workers can't bear this kind of "cubic air" house, and as a result, thousands and hundreds of them were arrested and imprisoned.Presumably the "cubic air" in the prison is better than outside? The "Braid Regulations" stipulates that all prisoners in prisons should cut their hair short to only one inch from the scalp, which is inconsistent with Chinese customs and national laws. In 1873, the slogan "The Chinaman Must Go" (The Chinaman Must Go) appeared and resounded throughout the United States. Finally, the U.S. Congress made the first bill restricting the entry of Chinese people, the so-called "Fifteen Passengers Act" ( The Fifteen Passengers Bill).The bill stipulates that each ship can only carry 15 Chinese people into the US port at a time. Violators will be fined 100 US dollars per passenger and imprisoned for 6 months.How wonderful!Fifteen bills!On your "Mayflower" back then, 86 more people were going to jail.Your historian Thomas A. Bailey sarcastically said: It is really difficult for American missionaries to explain to the Chinese why the Chinese can go to the white man's paradise but not the white man's land.How wonderful!

Hayes: (suddenly stands up) Report to God Li, the "Fifteen Act" violates the "Burlingson Treaty" we signed with the Chinese in 1868, and I veto it (sit down). God Li: It's useless if you veto it. It seems that it's better not to veto it.If there is no veto, 15 Chinese can go ashore. After veto, none of them will come.Look at what President Arthur did with the so-called suspend method.The "Chinese Exclusion Act" signed by Arthur has ten main points. The most important thing is that Chinese people are not allowed to go to the United States for 10 years, and Chinese people become the only object for white Americans to exclude outsiders.In historical records, even the Japanese and Germans who fought against the Americans were never treated in this way.In 1892, the "Chinese Exclusion Act" was extended for another 10 years, and in 1904, it became indefinite. In 1882, only 39,500 Chinese came to the United States, compared with 102,900 British and 250,000 Germans.California Governor John McDougal praised the Chinese in 1852 as the "most valuable immigrant" newly accepted by California; however, 30 years later, the "most valuable immigrant" became "the least valuable immigration".

Arthur: I can't deny these unfriendly actions towards the Chinese that God Lee pointed out.But God Li must have seen the cartoon that spreads all over the world asking the Chinese to go back. God Li should know that this is the common view of the American people. You can't blame any one person or the president, can you? God Lee: Yes, you Americans, the ruthless Americans, the Americans who immigrated to America but did not allow the Chinese to immigrate, you should blame all of you, not just individuals.However, that cartoon depicts a thick riding boot kicking a Chinese with braids. It would be too unfair for you to use your riding boots to treat the Chinese who helped you reclaim the Americas and build the Transit Railway. right?How hypocrite?

Roosevelt Jr.: (standing up with difficulty) God Lee, God Lee, I am the 32nd President of the United States, and people call me Roosevelt Jr. During my tenure, that is, in 1943, I abolished the "Chinese Exclusion Act" (with difficulty sit down). God Li: It was 61 years later, and it was World War II, and it was too late for the Chinese to immigrate.Don't forget that 60 years before you abolished the "Chinese Exclusion Act", one tenth of the farmers who reclaimed California were Chinese. As a result, you strangled their efforts in the Americas. After 60 years, all opportunities are history , All in vain.Of course, you also reaped the consequences.You have eaten those states that originally belonged to Mexico, and now you have to learn how much better Latin Americans are than the Chinese who are "eat lazy".

Arthur: Perhaps I must state that the Chinese Exclusion Act did not have a "pressure-relieving" effect to some extent. God Lee: Shall I tell you some of your so-called "pressure-relieving" numbers?After the passage of this bill, the anti-China situation has not decreased but increased.Take the incident in the Shiquan mining area as an example. On September 2, 1885, 150 white men armed with weapons attacked Chinese laborers, killing anyone they saw and burning houses when they saw them.Your official report admits that 16 people were shot dead, and 50 to 60 bodies were exhumed in the fire, and the number of those who could not be exhumed is unknown.Six or seven hundred people fled to the wilderness, and the property losses of the Chinese laborers were countless.Can you believe the so-called "pressure relief"?

Cleveland: (Stands up suddenly) I am the President of Cleveland who succeeded President Arthur. Under my presidency, we later paid 150,000 yuan to the Chinese laborers. God Li: I lost my money, what about my life?what time?What about chance?Get ready, the next one will interrogate you.Retire from the court (beat the mallet and stand up). (The curtain falls.)