The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-16
A DISCORDANT NOTE.
Was Sounded at Initial Session of
Transmississippi Congress.

Portland, Ore, Aug. 16.-The well
coming addresses at the opening of
the Transmississippi congress develop
ed the fact that there is not altogether
harmony on the subject of Chinese re-
striction laws. 1t became apparent
during the address of Governor George
E. Chamberlain that the sentiment OF
Washington and Oregon is in favor of
a strict application of the restriction
laws as opposed to the more liberal
application favored by the California
| representatives and delegates from the
middle west.
In welcoming the delegates in behalf
of the state of Oregon, the governor
took occasion to compliment congress
on the work it has done in the past.
Before the congress had been organ
| lied so great a lack of unity existed
that legislation favorable to any one
district of the west was almost impos-
! Sible to obtain. Lack of unity has thus
retarded the growth of the country.
But for the unity engendered by the
organization of the congress it is
doubtful, he said, whether the reclaim
alton of arid and semi-arid lands would
not have been postponed even to this
! day.
! Great as had been the achievements
/ of the congress hitherto there was yet
much work before it-much to
achieve. Still more aggressive work is
required to make reclamation of the
arid lands success; especially must
| the conflict between pubic and private
| interests be reconciled.
There are other matters of great
public interest, such as appropria-
tons for the rivers and harbors and for
| the construction of canals as natural
regulators for freight rates for COM
merce from the inland empire to the
sea, that ought to be taken up and con-
| Sidered by this congress.
| Concluding, the governor asserted
himself very strongly on the subject
t0f CT on Ia or 17o hi
nese boycott. This country must have
a stringent law excluding Chinese
coolies. He realizes that China threat
ems a boycott. but he believes that this
boycott receives the encouragement of
persons in this country who have per-
Isonal interests to subserve and he sug-
gests that much of the clamor here for
Chinese immigration came from those
directly interested in exporting prod
ucts to Chinese ports, a class which
represents a small minority of the
people of the coast.
Wheelwright's Welcome.
President Wheelwright of the Port
land Chamber of Commerce in well
coming the delegates said:
1.-THE word congress in its usual ac-
ceptance, means the law making pow
er of the nation and even in that sense
it is not inappropriate that it should
be applied to this association, for next
to agriculture, commerce is the great
source of nations wealth and power
and therefore commerce has much to
do i'll suggesting the passage of laws
And there is no truth more unques-
tionable than that good economics are
| consonant with good morals so that
wise laws, enacted for the preservation
and development of a nations trade
make also for the upbuilding of a ma
tons morals. Therefore this congress
meets to perform great national
duty, to consider the great questions OF
the country's growth and development
and to recommend to the congress OF
the United States a course of legisla.
ton that shall stimulate that growth
and enlarge that development until il
l shall reach the full measure of The
: stature of the greatest, most powerful
land most enlightened nation on thu