The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-10-24

lA6AA 1S ~
that can be given them by the nation
al government Moreover, we mus,
not forget that the work OF the man
ufacturers in the south supplements
the work of the planter. Ii is an ad-
vantage to manufacture the raw ma
| rial here and sell to the world the tn
ished goods. Under proper methods
of distribution it may well be doubted
whether there can be such a thing as
over-production of cotton. Last year 9
lcrop was nearly fourteen millions bales
and yet the price was sufficiently higl
, to give a handsome profit to the plan
ter. The consumption of cotton n
creases each year, and new uses are
found for it.
MARKETS FOR THE SOUTH'S
COTTON.
This leads me TO a matter of our
foreign relations, which directly con-
Germs the cotton planter. AT present
our market for cotton is large in Chi
ma. The boycott of our goods in Chi
IA during the past year was especially
injurious to the cotton manufacturers.
This government is doing, and val
continue to do, all it can TO put a st d
to the boycott. But there is one mea-
sure to be taken toward this end in
which | shall need the assistance or
the Congress. We must insist firmly
on u rights: and China must beware
of persisting in a course of conduct
to which we can not honorably suh-
init. But we in our turn must recOg-
nlze our duties exactly as we insist
upon our rights We can not go into
the international court OF equity III
less we go in with clean hands. We
can not expect China to do us justice
unless we do China justice. The chief
cause in bringing about the boycott
of our goods in China was undoubied-
ly our attitude toward the Chinese
who come to this country. This att
tude Of ours does not justify the &C
ton of the Chinese in the boycott, and
especially some, of the forms which
that action has taken. But the fac
remains that in the past we have
come short Of our duty toward the
people of China. 1t is our clear du
in the interest of our own wage-work-
ers, to forbid ali Chinese of the coolie
class-that is, laborers, skilled Or un
skilled-from coming here. The great
est of all duties is national self-pres-
ervation, and the most important step
in national se!f-preservation is to pre-
serve in every way the well-being OF
the wage-wOrker. [ I'M convinced that
the ~well-being of our wage-workers
demands the exclusion of the Chinese
coolies, and it s therefore our duty
to exclude them, just as it would be
the duty of China to exclude American
laboring men if they became in any
way a menace to China by enterilg
into her country. The right is recipro-
cal, and in our last treaty with China
it was explicitly recognized as inner
ing in both nations. But we should
not only operate the law with as little
~harshness rs possible, but we should
show every courtesy and consideration
and every encouragement to all Chi
nese who are not Of the laboring class
to come to this country. Every
Chinese traveller or student. business
nan or professional man, should be
given the same right of entry to, and
the same courteous treatment in, tais
country as are accorded to the student
or traveller, the business man Or pro
fessional man of any other nation. Our
laws and treaties should be so framed
as to guarantee to all Cinnamon, ave
of the excepted coolie class, the sarle
right of entry to this country and the
same treatment while here as is guar
anteed to citizens of any other nation.
By executive action I am as rapidly as
possible putting a stop to the abuses
which have grown up during many
years N the administration of this law
| can do a good deal, and will do a
good deal, even without the action of
the Congress; but cal not do all that
should re done unless such action is
taken, and that action | most earnestly
hope will be taken. It is needed in our
own interest and especially in the N
terest of the Pacific slope and of the
South Atlantic and Gulf States; for it
is short-sighted indeed for us to per
NIT foreign competitors to drive us
from the great markets of China
Moreover, the action I ask is demand
| ed by considerations that are higher
than mere interesttor l ask it in tie
name of what is just and right, Amer.
lea should take the lead in establish
ing International relations on the
same basis OF honest and upright deaf
ing which We regard as essential as lie.
tween man and man.