The Washington times., 1901-11-08
CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.
Secretary Gage Understood TO
Oppose Its Renewal.
IncTectiN Nencss Of the Operations OF
the Lava More Liberal Policy
Toward the CeIeStiai Empire in
The Interest Of Trade Increase.

reward the tclcStiai Empire in
the Interest Of Trade Increase
II has developed within the past Few
weeks that almost every officer of the"
Cover ment, high or low. connected with
the administration of the Chinese ENciu-
sion law. believes that 1t is ineTec-i in
its operation. and chat the statute Nhi-h
furblds Chinese laborerS to enter lhiS
country should not be renewed when II
expires by limitation. early next Mdy.
Secretary Gage and all the chiec officers
of the Treasury Department. with the OK
ception Of the Commissioner Gslc,tl tf
immigration believe that the law is
wrong in principle. that il is Ineffective IN
operation, and that the Great e"mmerciaI
interests of the United States demand
that it should not be renewed 10y Congress
nsNt spring.
So pronounced is this f.. ling that II
was Thought Secretary Gag" would rec
ommend in plain terms. in his annual re
port next month. that the Chinese EN-
clusion law be not re-enacJed. The friends
of the law have been 50 acCivr however.
and the opposition on the Pacific Coast t.
the free immigration cf Chinese, on an
equality with other foreigners. has been
manifested in pronounced WHY th"t
it is doubtful if Secretary Gage or any
other officer cf the Gov lrnrlc1t wiil c'me
out squarely in favor of the repeal 81 ihc
law.
Hart W North. Commissioner of lmmi-
grafton at san Francisco. and Chimes"
Inspector Dunn, of that port. have been
in conference with the Treasury officials
for several days. T Y. Powderly. the
Commissioner General of immigration.
has been prominently identified with the
interests of organized labor for several
years and he is a strong advocate of the !
re-enaetment of the Gc;;ry exclusion law.
with some amendments. Mr.. Dunn VIII /
assist in the preparation Of the bill TO be |
introduced in Congress At the coming Sos
sion. Senator Perkins Of California has |
asked that. q special privilege, nv be- /
allowed to introduce the bill. saying that /
he bases his hope OF reelection to The !
Senate on his activity H favor of the /
measure
The reason for the existence ot IN" !
Chinese Exclusion law on the statute ,
books as is v,ll known is dae In the /
persistent agitation OF organized labor. |
When the Geary bill was being debated in /
ConEreSs ten years ago, il was evident /
that the demand for the passage of the /
bin was due TO representations made by /
labor organizations The Federal onciai5
have been 10th to 1,imit until recently that
there was anything amiss with th- add
ministr. tioE of the exclusion law. The 4
duty Of administering it WAS vested in the
Treasury Department, and was placed in
the special charge Of agents appointed for
the purpose. until year or two ago
when the duty of carrying ou- The pro-
visions of the Law was assigned To the
INN tFra tion Bureau.
As the time aprua acIes when the ques-
ton of rs-enacting the Gesry law will be I
presented 10 Congress the Treasury Off
ciais are considering. from the experience
rf the last ten years. the wisdom OF the
exclusion act. They do not hesitate 10
admit now that the best efforts Of the
Government agents to accomplish what
the Ceary law was designed TO accomplish
have net met with fatterlng success
Thy do not care TO make the statement
but they nevertheless believe
hat very few of the hundreds Of thoa-
sands Of Chinese who are annually turned
back from our ports ultimately fail u
gain admittaHce to the country.
Hundreds Of Chinese come to san Fran
,iscO every year with an absolute guaran-
zee from one or another Of the powerful
six Companies'- of Chinese in that city
hat they viii b. enabled To land. If In.
Federal agents deport them they return
TO China. and in few months try again.
.ither Al San Francisco or some other
,ort. and eventually succeed in landing
The impractieability OF enforcing The
exclusion law. however. Is not the con-
trolling reason for Secretary Cages at
itude. The events Of the last few years,
II believes. have demonstrated the folly, |
rom the American commercial stand
,oint- 0f maintaining the present barriers
against Chinese immigrants. lie. with ,
,ther progressive officials Of the Govern
nent holds that the success Of the Unit
d States in obtaining large share in the
commerce OF the Orient is conditioned on
more liberal treatr,ent OF the Chinese.
ie argues that we csunot expect To
maintain the preferenc. for our Govern
nent which was shown : s. China during
he negotiations Of the Powers at Pekins
nless we allow the exclusion law to die ,
Is natural death rext spring.
The question of re-euactirg the Law has
ately been brought very forcibly TO the
.ttention OF the Treasury Department by
he agitation OF the subject on the Pa
| d