The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-04
LONG SESSION
OF THE CABINET
Chinese Boycott the Principal Sub
ject Discussed. 4
ALSO THE EXCLUSION LAW
CHANGES WILL BE MADE IN REG
ULAT1ONS.
ALSO THE EXCLUSION LAW

Washington, Oct. 9.-The most inter
esting subjects discussed at the cab
met meeting today were, first, the Chi
nese boycott against American goods,
and, second. the consideration Of COM
plants made by the Chinese govern
ment against the method of execution
of the existing Chinese exclusion laws.
The important fact developed was that
the presidents effort last summer TO
allay the Indignation of the Chinese by
a circular of instructions to the Amer
lean minister to China and consular Of
ficers therein, had in a measure failed
of its purpose and required consider
able amendment TO secure the object
sought, Mr.. ROckhill himself reported
that il had not been found possible TO
carry out the instructions contained in
the circular without doing great injus-
tlCe to worthy Chinese and imposing
burdens too heavy to be borne upon
the American consuls.
Taft's Observations.
Being freshly back from the Orient,
Secretary Taft took a prominent part
in the discussion of this matter when ii
was preached by Secretary Root. and
presented some of the results of his OBJ
serVations on his recent trip. It devel-
oped that the requirement that Ameri-
can consuls identify the Chinese seek
ing certificates admitting them to
American ports imposed a task upon
these officials beyond their ability. The
Chinese applicant frequently came
from some place far distant from the
American consulate, and the consul was
consequently obliged 10 refuse TO iden'
tify as proper persons 10 be admitted
to the United States many very worthy
Chinese. which. OF course, led TO bitter
complaint and fostered the boycott
/ feeling. Then 3. Chinese merchant who
desired to send his son as a shop as
sistant to his branch store I'm the
United States, with a view 10 ultimately
admitting the son to partnership. found
! that the boy was barred on the charge
/ that he was cOolie. Chinese living il
! the British and French and Portuguese
I Asiatic colonies. being really citizens
/ of those nations. did not see why they
/ could not be admitted 20 America I'M
/ der proper passports instead of being
! required to produce the unpopular GER
| tifieate.
Changes Must BE Made.
These were only few of the COM
plants made against the administra-
/ ton of the existing exclusion law. The
! trend of the opinion in the cabinet
meeting was that these complaints aft
! er all were directed rather against the
7 construction placed upon the law thar
against the act itself. and especially
against the definition given in Califor-
/ MIA to the term cOolie so il was practi-
! cally decided that some important
changes in the present regulations mus
! be made.
! Today's session was the first regular
meeting of the cabinet held for some
/ months, and it was one of the longes
! held during the administration of Pres
/ ident Roosevelt, II was attended by al
! Of the members of the cabinet eXcep
Secretary Shaw. who is absent from TIT
city, and Secretary Metcalf, who is i'll
1t was the first cabinet meeting for Sec
rotary Bonapsrte of the navy, and the
first as secretary of state for Mr.. Root
"AH ] did" said the former, jocularly
! was TO listen"
/ Most of the time of the meeting wa
occupied by the president and Secre
tary Root and Secretary Taft and At
torney General Moody. Mr. MOODY
took up with the president two or three
appointments. which were decided
upon. but their announcement wa
withheld pending acceptances. He als'
| discussed the status of the beef mus
cases which are being pressed BY th'
department of Justice.
Postmaster General Cortelyou ais
conferred over postoffice appointments