The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-10-22
THE RISING SPIRIT OF CHINA.

| T. you have right to demand this
much, at least. What next?''
Secretary. I'VE demand, in the Sec
ond place, that all examination, of eV-
| cry sort and nature, shall be completed
at the port of departure from China,
so that we who have passports can
walk off the steamers deck at San
Francisco as freely as Japanese, Kore-
ans Siamese, or Russians"
Lawyer. Yes, out of self-respect
you must insist on that. The cattle
PEN treatment at San Francisco must
cease America must accede to this
demand
Secretary "Our third demand is that
Chinese shall not be singled out for
exclusion 1t is an insult to our whole
country. Either America must exclude
all Asiatic labor or admit Chinese who
qualify under the general immigration
law
Lawyer. But, Mr.. Secretary, you
have gone too far; this is not prac-
teal; the American Government will
never listen TO you"
Secretary will they listen to rea-
SOM"
Lawyer. Yes, but remember the
Doctrine of the Mean"
Secretary. The time will soon come
when China will not stand this exclu-
sion business. We claim that either
exclusion and exempt classes should
be applied to all other nations or not
to China. America would not suffer If
there were no exclusion treaty At
present the general immigration law
requires that an immigrant must have
thirty dollars gold in hand, must not
have a contract, must be able to read
and write English, etc. Why don't you
make this law sitter, and then treat
all alike? You admit Nihilists and Ma
fias. But let me remind you that no
Chinese has ever murdered a Presi-
dent"
Fortunately, at this point in the con-
versation there was an interruption.
The secretary's glowing English SEN
fences had warmed with his blood, and
the lawyer and I were feeling the in
defensibleness of our National position.
A Chinese wholesale tea merchant and
a professor came in and were seated
The merchant had visited the St Louis
Fair, and the professor some years ago
had taken his degree at Jeffersons
ancient seat of letters.
The conversation went on
Lawyer. But can the Chinese hold
out ?''
Tea Merchant. '"Taotai-Tseng says
he will give his life as we'll as his for
tune before he will back down.
Lawyer. 1T is commonly reported
that he is making money hand over
fist
Tea Merchant mot a word of truth
In it. He told me- yesterday that he !
had already spent twenty thousand |
taels in kilograms, etc, and I know |
that he has refused to receive any
money from others to help on the boy
cott'
Secretary. Il am not sure that we
can hold out. This is the first time we
Chinese have ever tried such united
action, but so far we are surprised at
BUR own unity. Whether we can hold
put till Congress acts on the treaty /
mas yet to be seen-none of us know
But my personal opinion is that the i
Boycott Committee could not call it off
now if they tried. 1t has gone too far"
Lawyer. But do you realize that |
you are hurting your best friends 2"
Professor Yes, in many cases that
s so, but China has begun to awaken,
md this treaty has to be settled now"
They arose, as If to go.
Tea Merchant. IF we succeed in
getting justice from America now. we
1iSy then boycott the nation that forces
'Pi"lii oo"h our tnfoatS, ana the 9TH
ers that garb our provinces This is the
beginning of a new era in China. an
era in which the thinking classes will
exercise their right to rule public opin-
ion''
After profuse apologies for fear lest
some remark might have been taken /
as personal, the group separated for |
the night, and my respect for the Orr
entail grew as I cast my mind back
over the recent past.-The Outlook