The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-06-19
MAY Let CHINESE IN.
Minister WI Using His Pull
AGAINST Chinese Exclusion
Law.

Against Chinese Exclusion
Law.
/, . Washington, June Has the ad-
ministration promised the Chinese
minister to use its influence to prevent
a reenactment by Congress of the Chi
nese exclusion law, which will expire
next May? That question is deeply
interesting the labor organizations and
others who are working in favor of a
prompt reenactment Of the law by
Congress. There are several sus-
icious circumstances. The Chinese
Minister, who has more pull with the
administration than any other member
of the diplomatic corps, is openly work
ing against reenactment, and officials
connected with the administration
have been saying that the sentiment
on the Pacific coast is much more ia
vorable to the Chinese than it was
when the exclusion law was enacted.
It is not probable that the administra-
ton would dare to openly favor he
throwing our doors open to Chinese
immigration, but it is feared by the
friends of enactment, that it may al
low Senators and Representatives to
infer that failure to reenact the Chi
nese exclusion law would not be dis
pleasing.
Boss Platt's new Commissioner of
Patents has evidently taken public
Office as private snap for his motto
and thereby he is likely to get himself
and the administration in hot water,
unless some of his superiors in Office
are wise enough to make him with
draw his outrageous order, suspending
hearings before himself and the assist
ant Commissioner Of Patents for the
months of July and August, thereby
delaying for two months the business
of every inventor whose case requires
a hearing. The business of the y. S.
Patent Office is conducted at a large
profit to the government and the idea
that any official, even the President
himself, should assume the right to
suspend any branch of that business
for as long as the sixth of a year, is
ridiculous, and this arrogant Commls-
siner of Patents canont be taught too
soon that the u. S. Patent Office is not
his private property run for his per-
sonal comfort or convenience.
Senator Martin, of Virginia, who IS
in Washington, on official business,
said of the work of the State Consti-
tutional Convention, now sitting IN
Richmond: "The question of Suffrage
is difficult problem, but | feel that
the Convention will be able to solve it
to the stisfaction of the greater portion
of conservative Virginians.
''Teddy'' has made bid for the
support of the niger delegates to
the Republican National Convention,
by appointing niger" his messen-
ger-this is the only appointment at
the disposal of the Vice President, al
though Senators told him that it was
against precedent to have a niger"
messenger around the Senate. Those
who know the sort of arguments re-
ouired to get the "nigger" votes in a
Republican National Convention, re-
gard "Teddy's'' bid as a joke.
The tariff fight in the Republican
party is already on. Senator Aldrlch,
Chairman of the Finance Committee
anu vi GU0 IGSEoO1iSo1t O1O01AnS
mittee, and who .wields greater inhu-
ence with the Republican Senators
than any other man in the Senate, led
the fight which resulted in hanging up
all the administration reciprocity
treaties in the last Congress, and he IS
leading the new fight. He has served
notice on Mr.. Mckinley that no treaty
with the new government OF Cuba,
which is to be established as a result
of the unconditional acceptance OF the
Platt amendment by the Cuban Con
stitutional Convention providing for
tariff concessions on Cuban tobacco
and sugar, will be ratified by the Sen
ate: also that the fight against the
ratification of the reciprocity treaties
already negotiated would be continued.
This is flying directly in the face OF
Mr.. McKinley's constantly repeated
declarations, in favor of reciprocity,
and means hot fight in the Senate,
which may later figure in the Congress
sional campaign of next year. Mi. Al
drich is not the sort of man to go OF
half cooked; hence the belief that ne
is assured of strong republican back
ing.