The Portland daily press., 1900-06-13

cooiie ships were kept running 70 and
from China bringing their loads OF I'm
migrants from Kwang-tung province.
There was no trouble concerning the
Chinese so long as the road was building.
Hittell's History OF California" recites
how the white laborers and the "China
boys" marched together in parade, and
latter, extending their hands in comrade-
suddenly however, the road was fin
ished; and this army Of 15,O0o laborers
WIS idle and at large. In strange land,
among a strtnge people, with no capital
they flocked to San. Francisco. Here they
swarmed upon the streets, and, conspicu-
ous from their racial characteristics,
gave the impression that there was an
Immensely larger number OF them In the
district.
But with all the harshness Of the ex-
clusion laws they were never designed to
affect any but the laboring classes. They
were not intended to be used as an In
strument to exclude educated men travel
ling in pursuit of knowledge, merchants
coming from China to this country to buy
goods or start an industry here, or those
going from this country to China and
returning Such arv the men ON whose
shoulders trade rests, and IL was never for
an instant proposed that the statute
should act as a sword TO sever the trade
relations of the countries. Yet we recog-
nizc that this very thing is now being
done, though, believe, unwittingly.
Since the law denies to Chinese laborers
the right to enter the country, there
should be, as an offset, liberal policy
regarding the classes allowed to enter.
Yet this Is not the case. The utmost
rigor Is exercised toward the merchants
and travellers coming to the United
Sfat at.1 nn fn.aphani a nm xvhiah tnUQ.
nuity can deviss could more effectually
operate to keep these classes away.
Scarcely two months have elapsed since
63 merchats from Southern China, COM
ing to the United States for commercial
purposes, were prevented from landing
at San Francisco, because their certif-
Gates disclosed that word had not been
translated from the Chinese original into
the English-a lack which may have
been as much the fault OF the American
representative IN China who vised the
papers as of t& Chinese official who
Issued them. The English version recited
that they were merchants, but did NOT
state what kind Of merchants.
The Chinese official representatives In
the United States tried hard to secure the
landing of these people upon some kind
OF an arrangement whereby they would
not be put to the loss and Inconvenience
OF returning to China merely to have
department was inexorable, ignoring all
former decisions and precedents. No re-
gard was paid as to how much these In
tending purchasers in American markets
lost by the delay, nor was there any
doubt expressed MS to whether or not they
had come to this country to buy their
goods. They were compelled to return to
China, and the reports received from
them state that they will make their pur-
chases in England.
Nor Is this harshness confined to the
visitors from China. 1t Is extended with
even more severity to resident Chinest
merchants who go to China, intending to
return to their business in this country.
Many Of the Chinese merchants Of the
United States are exporters to China, and
find 1t necessary to go there once in n
few years to look after their affairs. Un-
der recent ruling of the department this
trade promises to be entirely broken up;
for 1t cannot be imagined that hencefortf
any merchant will attempt to go to China
with any serious hopes of ever getting
back to his business In this country.