The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-10-07
chinese EXCLUSION.
UTTER TAKEN UP AT FIRST FALL
Cabinet MEETING.
.,,is,er ROCkhill Says Instructions
cannot Be Carried Out Without
injury to nany-Taff Gives Ben
Eft of His Observations In the
orient.

Warrington, OCG. Z. ITO mOS6 M
lasting subjects discussed at the cab
NOT meeting yesterday were, first, the
ho1cott against American goods, and
. W. the consideration of COM
sIaints made by the Chinese govern
nnet against the method of execution
# the existing Chinese exclusion laws.
The important fact developed was
that the president's efforts last summer
~ allay the Indignation Of the Chinese
Nv circular of instructions to the
american minister to China and con-
liar officers therein, had in q measure
failed of its purpose and required con-
Siderable amendment to secure the OBJ.
ject sought.
Mr., Rockhill himself reported that
!, had not been found possible to carry
mt the Instructions contained in the
circular without doing great injustice
N worthy Chinese and imposing bur-
dens too heavy to be borne upon Amer
lean consuls.
Secretary Taft Tells of Orient.
Being freshly back from the Orient,
Secretary Taft took a prominent part
in the discussion of this matter when
it was preached by Secretary Root,
and presented some of the results Of
his observations on his recent trip.
1t developed that the requirement
that American consuls identify the
Chinese seeking certificates admitting
them to American ports imposed task
upon these officials which would be al
most impossi BILE.
The Chinese applicant frequently
comes from some place far distant
from the American consulate, and the
consul consequently will be obliged to
refuse to identify as proper persons to
be admitted to the United States many
worthy Chinese, who, of course, led by
bitter complaint, have fostered the
boycott.
Then Chinese merchant who desir-
ed to send his son as shop assistant to
his branch store in the United, States
with view to ultimately admitting
the son to partnership found that the
boy was barred on the charge that he
was cOolie.
Chinese living in British, French,
and Portuguese Asiatio colonies, be-
ing really citizens of these nations, do
not know why they could not be ad-
mitted to America under proper pass
ports, instead of being required to pro-
duce the unpopular certificate.
These were only few of the COM
plants made against the administra-
ton Of the existing exclusion act.
The trend of the opinion in the cab
met meeting was that these complaints
after all we're directed rather against
the construction placed upon the law
than against the act itself, and espe-
cally saginst the definition given in
California to the term coolie, SO prac-
tically it was decided that some i'm
portant changes in the present regula-
items must be made.
Longest reeting Vet Held.
The session was the first regular
meeting of the cabinet held for some
mouths, and it was the longest held
curing the administration Of President
Roosevelt. 1t was attended by all Of
TIE members of the cabinet except Sec
fetary Shaw, who is absent from the
city, and Secretary Metcalf, who was
lndlsposed. 1t was the first cabinet
meeting for Secretary Bonaparte Of the
navy, and the first also for Mr.. Root.
Ali did," said the former, jocu-
!arly, was to listen"
Most of the time Of the meeting
Sas occupied by the president and
secretary Root and Secretary Taft and
attorney General Moody Mr.. Moody
'ook up with the president two OF
'afee appointments which were decid-
70 upon, but their announcement was
Withheld pending aooeptances. BE
also discussed the status Of the beef
aust cases, which are being pressed by
"e department. Of Justice.
secretary Root spent some time at
'ue White House in the evening with
'ae president, when they discussed
state legislation.
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