The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-17
FINE WORDS AND SLAPPED
FACES.

The Providence Journal one of the
leading New England dailies, has an
editorial that viii interest all Southern
people interested in an "open door"
for the increasing products of the cot
ton mills. The Journal takes the
speech of Secretary Cortelyou before
the American Cotton Manufacturers
Association, son the importance of de-
veloping trade with Asia, and contrasts
it with the refusal of the Secretary
to modify the unduly harsh and rig
orous administration of the Chinese
exclusion law, and argues that fine
words and slapped faces by the same
official are not calculated to increase.
our trade relations with Asia. The
Journal makes this happy and COM
posite paraphrase of Mr.. Cortelyou's
speech at Washington and his letter
to the New York business men:
"To our Great and Good Friends,
the Chinese Peopie-Appreciatin
your many admirable qualities as re-
vealed especially in your growing dis
position to buy foreign goods, thank
ing you for past favorS and hoping
for a continuance of the same on a
much larger scale as opportunity Of
fers, we beg leave to say that if any
of you come within American juris-
diction you will be subjected to much
the same humiliating, degrading and
obstructive treatment that is applied
to suspected lepers, anarchists and
criminals.
The Journal asks:
'Is this a good way to make friends
of people who are developing a
great market for our kind of pro-
ducts? Is it the way that a merchant
would approach a prospective Gus
toner? Will the Chinese let the fine
words cool their slapped faces? Will
they not rather first look about to
find chances of buying the goods they
need from nations that subject them
to fewer indignities?"
The Journal proceeds to point out
that the New York merchants did not
ask any repeal of the Chinese Exclu-
sion Act, but merely some modifica-
tions of the regulations enforcing that
law which might facilitate instead of
a right to come to these shores. To
show how rigorous and unjust the
present regulations are the Journal
gives a few examples from the list of
cases recently decided by Secretary
Cortelyou as follows:
"a Chinese student, armed with the
proper certificate, was refused admis-
sion by the Commissioner of Immigra-
ton at San Francisco on the ground
4t1at hn bod fnn Enn n
English to be able to enter at once
on a college course, and it required
seven weeks for the authorities at
Washington to consider the case be-
fore ii reversed the decision and re-
leased the young man from the status
of a detained criminal in which he
had in the meantime been kept. A
Chinese merchant was sent home per-
emptorily because while his certificate
classed him as a dealer in general
merchandise he himself said that his
former occupation was selling gro
ceries and marine delicacies. An
alleged minor son of domiciled
Chinese merchant. unable to prove
conclusively the presence of his reput-
ed father in China at a time which
would make the paternity possible,
was refused admission after being held
in CAPTIVITY for more than two months
waiting a decision.
There are plenty of other similar
cases; and they fully justify Mr.
Wong Kai Kan in asking. is not
this a travesty on justice and an un-
due ''railroading." as it is called in this
country. especially considering that
the matter involved is the case of a
Chinese gentleman, who has prima
facie evidence. in the shape of a cer
tificate from his Government, exam
ined and sealed by a United States
consul, that he is entitled to land?
Could harsher measures be adopted
to bar out lepers or dangerous an
archists or criminals? SO long az
such measures are applied, and Secre-
tary Cortelyou has just told the New
York Chamber of Commerce that it
is not proposed to change them, we
must expect that the Chinese in their
native land will set over against the
fine words with which we solicit
friendly relations with them the re-
mcmbrance of the indignities we are
continually infiicting on their coun-
trymen.
Those cotton mill folks who were
inclined to enthuse over Secretary Cor
telyou's fine words about a big trade
in Asia for cotton goods. should re-
member that "fair words butter no
parsnips."
T,l,ora hoe hean CREATOR an