The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-07-15
PACIFIC COAST OPINION CHANG
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 It is fairly startling to read the ad- dress of he Portland, Oregon, Cham her of Commerce to the President on the question of Chinese exclusion. We were prepared, of course, from some preceding indications of a change. of sentiment on the Pacific Coast, and more especially from our knowledge of the growing value of the Oriental trade to that part of the country. to find a considerable desire in that hith- erto strongly anti-Chinese section for more liberal interpretation of the port regulations affecting the landing of Chinese merchants, students and professional men. But the address of the Portland Chamber of Commerce goes much farther than that.
 It urges upon the President "the taking of steps toward negotiating a new treaty with China, that shall pro- vide" not merely for the removal of the insulting and vexatiOus conditions that now attach to the admission of the higher-class Chinese travellers, but for the absolute freedom of all Chin csc residents of this country to visit their own land and return here, and for the admission during the next ten years of a number of male Chinese ! laborers that in any one year shall not exceed one-tenth of one per cent, Of the population of this country" When such request as this is made by a repre- sentative body of business men it is plain enough that a great change must be taking place in the public opinion of a section of the country whose in- habitation are almost alone respon- sible for all our existing anti-Chinese | Legislation.
 Doubtless the change is coming about mainly through the influence of con- alterations of foreign commerce. The Pacific ports and the territory they serve have of late been building up a substantial and profitable trade with China and through China or Chinese factors with other parts of the Orient. Take the flour trade as one example For the fiscal year ending June thir- tieth, 1904, this amounted to approxi- mately three million barrels; and the totals for the year that closed two weeks ago, in spite of the. interrup- tions of the war, will probably be found to have been not much less. The development of this trade has of course been of the highest importance to the grain growers of the Pacific Coast, and in turn to all interests dependent on the grain crop. The threat of the Chinese mercantile builds that they will cut off altogether because of dis. lsatisfaction with the treatment ac- corded to Chinese other than com mon laborers in the United States has naturally. enough aroused the appren- ensions of Pacific Coast business men and induced them to favor a mitiga- ton of the severity of the present laws.
 But this does not account for the lmore radical suggestion of the Port Hand Chamber of Commerce that ad- mission, be granted to a limited num- iber of Chinese laborers. Here is evil dence of q great change indeed in Pa, Icific Coast opinion. From the time, thirty years ago, when the overwhelm- ing sentiment of the people out there Iirresistibly demanded the absolute ex- iclusion of all low-grade Chinese labor, iuntil very recent date their convic- ton has been that the common Chi nese immigrant was an intolerable menace to industrial, moral and po- llitical welfare What has induced themto modify theirAopinion? Appar- Fently itis experience and changed in- Idustrial conditions They have found that what was at first an unknown and consequently exaggerated danger has Inot proved as serious as was feared and with the opening of new industrial Opportunities they have found them selves without sufficient supplies of labor to utilize them.
 The readtest means of supplying this deficiency is to admit a reasonable humber of Chinese laborers. and 1t is looming to be seen that under proper Limitations it, will he entirely safe to lseek that assistance. There are lands to be cleared and improved, highways and railroads to be built: and as the Portland address to the President sets Iforth, Tit cannot be fairly claimed that 1.-the Chinese would interfere with the American laborer in this work because this work is not now performed by American or any ohter labor, save in the most limited way. It remans prac- tically not only fail to affect injurious fly the present satisfactory status of the American laborer but would open wider and higher fields for his activity and improvement" It cannot besup- posed that all, of the Pacific Coast peo- ule are yet ready to take the more ra- tional view of the Portland business men. But if any considerable portion of them are thus changing their opin- ions the way is becoming easier for a
 healthful Liberalization of all of the re. lations between the Chinese and our selves-Providence Journal. | .t,. s------7------~-E----7----~----
 A, JUDGE WHO CAN CLIMB.
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