The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-27
Circulation Statement.
Chinese immigration.

The Nogales (Arizona) frauds by
which, for a valuable considera ton,
Chinese immigrants We're struggled into
the United States in considerable num-
bers contrary to law, have resulted in
bringing the whole question of Chinese
immigration prominently before the
public To a Times reporter, yesterday.
an official of the Treasury Department
expressed the belief that the brides
which were paid at Nogales to secure
the illegitimate admission of the Ce-
lestials were furnished by Western
mining and manufacturing concerns de-
string Oriental labor Possibly this may
be true. At any rate there IS a no
ticeable lack of interest on the part of
business and commercial people in the
agitation of the labor organizations for
an extension of the Chinese Exclusion
Act The subject will be necessarily
considered at the next session of Con-
sress but with that body as over
whelmingly trust Republican as it is,
it is doubtful if a new prohibitive meas
ure can pass.
WI Ting-fang and other influential
persons have been steadily working for
some time to secure a removal of the
prohibition against the Chinese at the
termination of the present Exclusion
Act. Their argument is that China
would rather trade with the United
States than with any other country; that
China offers the richest market on
earth for many of our products and
manufactures, but that while we single
h.
sion, while admitting, all other Asiatics
without restriction, and subject Chi
nese merchants. who are not excluded
under the law, to endless modification
and annoying examinations and espion-
age. we cannot expect either much
trade or good feeling on the side of the
Chinese.
In these days of political commercial
ism, il is not to be questioned that such
arguments will have great weight in
determining the future of Chinese i'm
migration to this country. The voice
of labor is not as loud or piercing as it
was few years ago. Statesmen of the
Hanna school taught the object lesson
in 1895. and again in 1900, that labor can
be cajoled, bought, or bullied into vot-
ing 10 keep the trusts in power. how
ever much it may strike and struggle |
against them in off years. Moreover, !
the manufacturing monopolies would |
hail with joy the coming OF time when |
they could curtail the power of labor |
organizations by the employment of |
Chinese artisans, whose wonderfully de-
veloped initiative faculties would soon |
make them skilled in any of the occu-
pations now followed by white opera
tives.
To great extent the political action
of organized labor has resulted in Civ
ing men like Morgan, Havemeyer, Duke,
Hanna and a dozen other financial, in
dustrial and railway magnates control
of the Executive and Of Congress. The
coal strike last year and the steel strike
this have not rendered these national
masters any too kindly to organized |
labor generally, and this fact may have
an important bearing on the fate of any
bill which may be introduced next win
ter having for its object the extension
of the Chinese Exclusion Act. Argu-
ing from the character. influence. and
ability TO spend money in legislation of
the interests naturally favorable to free
Chinese immigration, il would rather
surprise us TO see the act extended