The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-15
FORAKER FOLLOWS HIM
It Will as Good as Close the Open
Door, He Says.
THE STRUGGLE OVER RECIPROCITY
The Republican Opponents Of the Bill Show by
Their Course That They Will Fight
the Measure TO the
Last.
(By the Associated Fress)

Washington, April 1.-THE Chinese
the Senate throughout today, Senators
Foraker and McLaurin Is. c. making
extended speeches in opposition. Mr..
Foraker contended that the pending
measure was violative of our treaty
with China and was calculated TO pro-
vent our commercial expansion in the
Far East. While strongly supporting
the policy of the government TO exclude
Chinese laborers, the Ohio Senator
maintained that this could be best &C
complished by an extension OF the
present exclusion law. Mr.. McLaurin
also favored an extension of the present
law.
Mr. Teller briefly responded to Mr..
Foraker urging that the right to alb
rogate treaties was fully recognized.
During the day Mr.. Lodge (Mass.)
gave notice of an amendment TO the
hill, striking out the much discussed
clause prohibiting the employment of
Chinese sailors on American ships
Mr.. McLaurinfi in his remarks, said
it was inconceivable that any honorable
nation, least of all the United States,
should surrender its integrity by de-
liberately adopting policies and Lnacting
laws in violation of its own sworn COM
pact and treaty with any other power,
and that, too, during n period of pro-
found peace, without any provocating
cause from the other nation. The pend
ing Senate bill, he declared, vas calcu-
lated by it's restrictive action and mimi
cable spirit to kill our trade with China.
This was q consideration of vital i'm
portance to South Carolina with it's vast
cotton production and the growing ship
mcnts of cotton goods to China.
rs it fair to the people of the South, ;"
asked Senator MCLaurin, Just as they
are beginning to prosper in manufactur-
ing ard commercial enterprise, after
long years of trouble and privation, to
tear down and crush their new enter
prices, ON the assumption that such a
ruinoIs policy is necessary in order to
keep out the Chinese, when, in point of
fact it is not at all necessary and they
are being kept out with existing laws?
That is the plain business proposition
at the basis of the whole question:
Mr.. McLaurin said the effect of a
shutdown in the China trade and the
consequent collapse of Southern cotton
manufacturing would be most severe on
the South. 1t would glut the home mar
ket ard close the mills The mill own
ers and the operatives would suffer. In
South Carolina some $4,000 operatives
would be injured while the same result
would occur in North Carolina, Georgia
Alabama and all the States where cot
ton IS grown or cotton goods are manu-
faCtured.
Taking up the commercial side of the
question, Mr.. Foraker denied that the
proposed measure was in the interest of
our wage -earners. He poiuted out that
the United States has an enormous sur
plus product which must be disposed
of in the outside world. Europe could
take but little more than at present
We must look elsewhere to the Far
East, particularly now that we have a
fCOthold in the Philippines.
In China, declared the Senator, is the
greatest opportunity for q market that
the world affords today. With a vast
population and a vast consumption, we
sell less than ten per cent of the
amount China buys. He maintained
that under the mastery diplomacy of
the administration of William Mckin-
''open door" in China and that the pend
ing measures would overcome all the
good secured by the "open door"