Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-10-09
Chinese EXCLUSION
MATTER TAKEN UP AT FIRST FALL
CABINET Meeting.
minister ROCkhiil Says Instructions
Cannot Be Carried Out without
injury to Nany-Taft Gives Ben.
eft OF His Observations In the
Orient.

Washington, OCT. 4.-The most in
teresting subjects discussed at the cab
met meeting yesterday were, first, the
boycott against American goods, and
second, the consideration Of COM
plants made by the Chinese govern.
mnet against the method Of execution
of the existing Chinese exclusion laws.
The important fact developed was
that the presidents efforts last summer
to allay the indignation of the Chinese
by circular of instructions to the
American minister to China and con-
sular officers therein, had in measure
failed Of its purpose and required CON-
siderable amendment to secure the OBJ.
ject sought.
Mr.. Rookhill himself reported that
1t had not been found possible to carry
out the instructions contained in the
circular without doing great injustice
to worthy Chinese and imposing bur.
dens too heavy to be borne upon Amer
loan consuls.
Secretary TAFT Tells Of Orient.
Being freshly back from the Orient,
Secretary Taft took a prominent part
in the discussion of this matter when
it was preached by Secretary Root,
and presented some of the results Of
his observations on his recent trip.
1t developed that the requirement
that American consuls identify the
Chinese seeking certificates admitting
them to American ports imposed task
upon these officials which would be al
most impossible.
The Chinese applicant frequently
comes from some place far distant
from the American consulate, and the
consul consequently will be obliged to
refuse to identify as proper persons to
be admitted to the United States many
worthy Chinese, who, Of course, led by
bitter complaint, have fostered the
boycott.
Then a Chinese merchant who desir.
ed to send his son as shop assistant to
his branch store in the United States
with view to ultimately admitting
the son to partnership found that the
boy was barred on the charge that he
was coolie.
Chinese living in British, French,
and Portuguese Asiatic colonies, be-
ing really citizens of these nations, do
not know why they could not be ad-
mitted to America under proper pass
ports, instead of being required to pro.
duce the unpopular certificate.
These were only few of the COM
plants made against the administra-
ton of the existing exclusion act.
The trend of the opinion in the cab
met meeting was that these complaints
after all we're directed rather against
the construction placed upon the law
than against the act itself, and espe.
cially aaginst the definition given in
California to the term coolie, SO prao.
ticslly it was decided that some i'm
portant changes in the present regula-
items must be made.
Longest rieeting Yet Held.
The session was the first regurlar
meeting of the cabinet held for some
months, and it was the longest held
during the administration of President
Roosevelt. 1t was attended by all Of
the members Of the cabinet except Sec.
Rotary Shaw, who is absent from the
city, and Secretary Metcalf, who was
indisposed. 1t was the first cabinet
meeting for Secretary Bonaparte Of the
navy, and the first also for Mr.. Root.
"All did," said the former, jocu-
larly, Twas to listen"
Most Of the time Of the meeting
was occupied by the president and
Secretary Root and Secretary Taft and
Attorney General Moody Mr.. Moody
took up with the president two or
three appointments which were decid
ed upon, but their announcement was
withheld pending aoceptances. He
also discussed the status Of the beef
trust cases, which are being pressed by
the department Of Justice.
Secretary Root spent some time at
the White House in the evening with
the president, when they discussed
state legislation.