The San Francisco call., 1905-08-17
Tran s-M is 81 sippi
Congress Meets
in Oregon.
Members Disagree
on Chinese La
Dor Point.

PORTLAND, Aug. 16-Unless indica-
tions fail the session of the Trans -Missis-
sippi Congress, which assembled here to-
day, will be rent in dissension before the
congress is twenty-four hours old. Utter
ly antagonistic views are hid by the del
egations representing California and 9TH
er Western States and those representing
Oregon and Washington on the subject
of Chinese immigration. This fact first
became manifest during Governor Cham
berlain's address. The Oregon executive
had hardly finished the perfunctory well
come to the congress when he launched
an emphatic dictum to the effect that
while the commercial interests of China
are valuable, the influx of a horde of
Chinese coolies into the Pacific Coast
States is too high price to pay for it.
and this, he said in effect, would be the
result II the exclusion laws were not ad-
ministered with the utmost stringency.
Though not so emphatic in his declara-
tions, Governor Mead expressed similar
views on the subject. The representa-
tives In the congress Of Oregon and
Washington, whose comparatively unde-
veloped territory makes them an inviting
field for Chinese labor. allowed no SEN
tence Of either speech to pass without
applause. indicating the feeling Of their
States in the matter. The Californians,
whose metropolis is credited with almost
a monopoly of the 500, 900, 900 import trade
of China, were conspicuously silent.
Governor Pardee of California, In re-
spending for his State, displayed an evil
dent desire to evade an allusion to the
subject OF immigration. However, there
was in his statement that the United
States had quite as much to fear from
pauper immigration Of European .coun-
tries and from Africa as it had from
China, an evident reflection OF the senti-
ments Of his constituents. Governor Par
dee in measure minimlzed the contention
Of Governors Chamberlain and Mead that
to conserve the trade relations with the
Chinese empire is not worth a material
loosening of the present strict superyi-
sion Of Chinese immigration.
The fight probably will be initiated be-
fore the committee on resolutions, where
It almost is a foregone conclusion the
sentiment OF the different sections of the
coast will be presented in resolutions
committing the congress to one side of
the contention or the other. It is improb-
able that the committee will be able to
agree on the subject, but this will make
little difference, as an effort to pass any
resolution on the subject is almost cer-
tain to precipitate a fight on the floor of
the convention.
The first session of the congress was
attended by representative men from
all parts of the West. Following the
call to order by Rufus p. Jennings of
San Francisco, chairman of the execu-
tive ciipmittee, divine invocation was
delivered by Rev. ]. w. Brougher of
Portland. Chairman Jennings intro
'duced Theodore B. Wilcox of Portland.
president of the congress. who delivered
his opening address, welcoming the
congress- Wilcox sketched the growth
of trade with the Orient in flour, cotton.
lumber and other American products.
Taking UP the pending boycott of