Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-04
Of President and Cabinet
After Summers Sojourn.
Various Phases Of Chinese El.
cIusion Law and the Boycott
Considered, Together With Beef Trust Cases
And a Few Appointments.

| Washington, Oct. 3.-The most inter
esting subject discussed at the cabjnet
meeting. today, We're first the Chimes.
boycott against American goods, ana
second, the consideration Of complaints
nude by the Chinese against the meth
DDS Of execution Of the existing Chimes
| Exclusion laws.
The important fact developed wa
! that the Presidents efforts, last sum
mcr, to allay the Indignation Of the
Chinese by circular OF instructions 10
| The american minister to China and
consular officers, therein had in a
measure failed of it's purpose and re-
quired considerable amendment To Sc
cure the object sought Minister Rock
nil himself reported that it had NOT
he"li found possible 10 carry out thr
instructions, contained in the circular
without doing great injustice to worthy
Chinese ana imposing burdens too
heavy to BE- borne upon the American
| cOnsuls.
| Being freshly back from the Orient
| Secretary Taft took q prominent part
in the discussion Of this matter when il
| vas preached by Secretary Root, ana
| presented some of the results Of his
| observations on his recent trip. 1t de-
vcloped that the requirement that
American cOnsuls identify the Chinese
.teekin9 certificates admitting them to
| American ports imposed tas! upon
! these officers beyond their ability The
| Chinese applicant frequently came
from some place far distant from the
American consulate and the consul was
consequently obliged to refuse to identi-
| fy ai proper persons TO be admitted to
the United States, many very worthy
Chinese. which of course led to bite.
complaint ard fostered the boycott
feeling.
Then a Chinese merchant who desired
to send his son as a shop assistant to
his branch store in the United States
Win a view to ultimately admitting thu
son to partnership, found that the boy
was barred on the charge that ne was
!. coolie. Chinese living in the British
and French and Portuguese Asiatic col
0lies, being really citizens of those ma
tons, did not see why they could not be
admitted to America under proper
passports instead Of being required to
| produce the unpopular certificate.
These were only few Of the com
ton Of the existing exclusion law.
The, trend of the opinion in the cab
met meeting was that these complaints
after all were directed rather against
the construction placed upon the Law
than against the act itself and especial
~ against the definition given in Cali
fornia to the term coolie, so it was
practically decided that some impor-
tant changes in the present regulations
must be made.
TodayS session was the first regular
meeting of the cabinet held for some
months, ana it was one OF the largest
held during the administration Of Pres
idert Roosevelt. II WIS attended by all
of the members Of the cabinet except
Secretary Shaw, who is absent from
the city, and Secretary Nctcalf, who is
i'll. 1t was the first cabinet meeting for>
Secretary Bonaparte of the navy. and
the first as secretary Of state for Mr.
Root.
''All did" said the former jocularly.
was TO listen"
Most Of the time of the meeting was
occupied BY III" President ana Secs
Root and Taft and Attorney General
Moody. Mr. Moody took up with the
President two or three appointments
which We're decided upon. but their an
nouncement vas withheld pending &C
CeptanCes. He also discussed the status
Of the Beef Trust cases. which are be-
ing pressed by the department of JUS
ticr.
Postmaster General COrtelyOu also
conferred over post office appointments.