The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1901-11-28
PRo-CHINEsE SENTIMENT.

CCORDING to the Washington correspon-
n dent of the Boston Transcript there has been
4 already manifest at the national capital a
strong sentiment in opposition to the re-enactment
of the Chinese exclusion law He does not under
take to say how formidable the opposition will
prove itself to be when the lines of actual battle are
drawn but he that in the opposition this time
there will be found clements that were not hitherto
opposed to exclusion, and consequently the strength
is likely 10 be greater than ever.
Among the forces that are expected to oppose
exclusion are the steamship companies plying be-
tween the United States and China, Southern en-
ployers of labor who are dissatisfied with the negro
manufacturers who have goods to sell in the Chinese
market, and merchants in all the large cities It is
said that we have now good chance to extend our
trade in China but that the exclusion law acts
against US in that respect, inasmuch as inficts
upon the Chinese indignities which they resent.
Speaking the sentiments of the merchants the writer
says: "Our trade with the Chinese must develop
very slowly if always subject to the handicap of the
necessity of carrying goods to them the
chance OF their being willing purchase whereas if
every facility were offered for the free admission of
themselves to come here and see what we have to
sell large commerce would soon grow up between
the two countries"
One of the most instructive features OF the article
is the forecast of the tactics that will probably be
adopted by the opponents Of exclusion if they find
themselves poweress to defeat it outright It is
said that compromise will be offered It is known
that the coming session of Congress will be very
busy for II has many great questions to deal with
A prolonged fight the exclusion bill would inter
fere with the legislation for the Philippines the 18TH
lnian canal BILL the reduction of and other mat
tiers hardly less important Taking advantage of that
10
bill go over until next term As the present law e-
pires by limitation in May that would leave seven or
eight months in which the Chinese would have full
freedom to enter the country, and would afford a
test of what might be expected should exclusion be
set aside altogether
Commenting upon the desirability of making the
experiment of limited season of unrestricted Chi
nese immigration the writer says: eff all the pas
senger-carrying companies to stretch their
traffic to the extreme they could bring an aggre-
gate greater than 1000 5000 month"; so that 5000
or 10000 Chinese would be the outside number who
could take advantage of the opening This would not
be sufficient multitude to do any harm to white
labor through competition; and probably the bulk Of
It would be absorbed quickly in channels already
cleared and waiting that the only effect the working
men would would be an increased development
in certain industries from which they would ult-
mately reap the greater benefit since everything pro-
duced by Chinese labor would have to be boxed and
hauled and shipped to various markets, and in these
lines Chinese labor has begun to compete with
white at all"
Such the forces we shall have to meet this win
ter, and such is the plan they will probably adopt in
making their fight 1t is well to be forewarned
Our representatives be counted on to stand
firmly for exclusion. Their motto should be "No
compromise"