The San Francisco call., 1905-06-16
Declares Present
Exclusion Law to
Be Unjust.
War Secretary'S Words
a Challenge to the
Pacific Coast.
DeplOreS Humiliating Treat
ment Accorded Merchants
and Students.

OXFORD, Ohio, June l5-In an ad-
dress at the eighty-1irst commencement
of Miami University to-day Secretary
OF Var William H Taft made a blunt
reference to the Chinese exclusion law
and what ne characterized as the un-
just treatment accorded Chinese mer-
chants by officials entrusted with the
enforcement of the law. said he:
"Is IL just that for the purpose of ex-
Guiding or preventing perhaps 100 Chi
nese coolies from slipping into this
country against the law we should sub
sect an equal number of Chinese mer-
chants and students Of high character
TO an examination of such an inquisi-
toriaI, humiIfatfng, insulting and
physically uncomfortable character aS
10 discourage altogether the coming of
mercb bants and students:
"One of the great commercial prizes
Of the world f. tho trade with the 400,-
000.090 Chinese he continued. Ought
we TO throw awny the advantage which
yye have by reason of Chinese natural
friendship for us and continue to enforce
an UujnStIy severe law and thus create
fn the Chinese mind a disposition to boy
colt American trade and drive our mer-
chants from Chinese shores simply be-
cause VIC are afraid that we may for
the time lose The approval OF certain
unreasonable and extreme popular lead
err OF California and other coast
SfaIeS.
Does the question not answer itself?
is il not the duty OF members of Con-
gross and of the executive TO disregard
the unrea sonable demands of a portion
Of the community, deeply prejudiced
upon this subject, in the Far West. and
insist Ga extending justice and courtesy
10 people from whom we are Geriv-
ing and are likely TO derive such i'm
lnense benefit IN the way of interna-
uoral trader"
RACE PROBLEM IN THE SOUTH.
Secretary Taft touched on the racial
question in the South and in this connec-
Uon said:
Another encouraging feature of the
present increase Of wealth is that a large
proportion of this increase has been in
the South, part Of our country which
heretofore has been largely agricultural
ana poor The change IN the material
conditions in the South. in spite of the
political difficulties that certainly are
there, is creating a better state of things
with reference 10 the racial question.
The work Of Booker T. Washington in
teaching his people how to use tools in
stead OF giving them a superficial uni
versity education which they cannot use,
added TO industrial demand for skilled la
bor VIII put the negro population in a
better condition materially. and when
that is brought about, their spiritual and
Intellectual uplifting is much easier The
Southern States are engaged in adopting
constitutions which seem intended to ex-
ciude the negro from the ballot, in fact,
without infringing the fifteenth amend
ment so palpably as TO lead TO their an
nulnlent by the Supreme Court ! am
hoping earnestly that experiments of this
sort will fail, but if they will lead to a
result in which the laws shall exclude
ignorant whites and blacks equally from
the ballot then no one can quarrel with
the procedure, which will be square and
honest"
AMERICA AS A WORLD POWER.
Reference was made by Secretary Taft
70 the enormous material expansion of
this country" which adds to its stand
ing among the nations beyond that
which could be accorded by them to
one which had no insular possessions
and confined itself within the seas He
continued:
The powerful influence which II has
exerted 10 bring about peace between the
Russian and japanese nations is itself an
evidence. The personality OF the Presi-
dent has had much TO do with the will
ingness Of the powers to allow him to in
tervene. Confidence in his impartiality
national prestige in securing this end de-
voutly to be wished"
The Secretary spoke Of Porto Rico and ]
the Philippines the burdens which we |
have assumed due TO the Spanish War"
Il do not, he said, for a moment |
contend that now or for years they |
will prove anything but a burden to |
the United States. We enjoy the bene- I
Cts Of the increasing civilization oflthe |
world by reason of colonization: must i
we decline 10 assume the burden there |
Df? Hence, when an alien /
people come under our control we |
Iecm it our duty to try the experiment |
If educating them to govern them /
selves and we should deem ourselves /
towards and recreants If we declined |
10 accept the responsibility and thus
hrow the people back into chaos of
anarchy which could but result ulti- /
nately in self-destruction or despot-
sm"
OF THE LAW.
Secretary Taft then directed atten-
ion to few purely domestic questions
With respect to which he declared the !
American people ought to act. These
included the maladministration of the
.riminal law. the increase in divorce