The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-10-21
NOTABLE ADDRESS BY
 PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT

(Continued from Page Nine.)
 it will always be true that in certain of the Southern States cotton will be the basis of the wealth, the mainstay of prosperity in the future as in the past. The cotton crop is of enormous consequence to the entire country. It was the cotton crop of the south that brought four hundred million dollars of foreign gold into the United States last year, turning the balance of trade in our favor. The soil and climate of the south are such that she enjoys a practical monopoly in the production of raw cotton. No other clothing ma terial can be accepted as substitute for cotton. I welcome the action of the planters in forming cotton asso- citation, and every assistance shall be given them that can be given them by the natonal government. Moreover, we must not forget that the work of the manufacturers in the south supple ments the work of the planter. It is an advantage to manufacture the raw material here and sell to the world the finished goods. Under proper methds of distribution it my well be doubted whether there can be such a thing as over-production of cotton. Last years crop was nearly fourteen million bales, and yet the price was sufficiently high to give a handsome profit to the plan ter The consumption of cotton in- creases each year, and new uses are fund for it.
 This leads me to a matter of our foreign relations, which directly com cerns the cotton planter. At present our market for cotton is largely in China. The boycott of our goods in China during the past year was espe- cially injurious to the cotton manufac- turers. This government is doing, and will continue to do, all it can to put a stop to the boycott. But there is one measure to be taken toward this end in which shall need the assistance of the congress. We must insist firmly on our rights; and China must beware of persisting in a course of conduct to which we can not honorably submit, But we in our turn must recognize our duties exactly as we insist upon our rights. We can not go into the inter- national court of equity unless we go in with clean hands. We can not ex- pect China to do us justice unless we do China justice. The chief cause in bringing about the boycott of our goods in China was undoubtedly our attitude toward the Chinese who come to this country. This attitude of ours does not justify the action of the Chi- nese in the boycott, and especially some of the forms which that action has taken. But the fact remains that in the past we have come short of our duty toward the people of China. It is our clear duty, ih the interest of our own wage-workers to forbid all Chi nese of the coolie class-that is, lapor- CTS, skilled or unskilled-from coming here. The greatest. of all duties is 1la- tional self-preservatfon and the most important step in national self-preser- vation is to preserve in every way the
 well-being of the Wage-worker. I am convinced that the well-being of our l wage-workers demands the exclusion of the Chinese coolies, and it is there's
 fore our duty to exclude them, just as
 it would be the duty of China to ex- clude American 1aboring men if | they became in any way a menace to | China by entering into her country. | The right is reciprocal, and in our last I treaty with China it was explicitly re- ] cognized as inhering in both nations But we should not only operate the | law with as little harshness as possi- ble, but we should show every courtesy
 and consideration and every encour-
 agement to all Chinese who are not of the laboring class to come to this | country. Every Chinese traveller oI | student, business man or professional
 man, should be given the same right | of entry to, and the same courteous l treatment in, this country as are ac. l corded to the student or traveller, the
 business man or professional man oi any other nation. Our laws and trea- | ties should be so framed as to guaran,
 tee to all Chinamen, save of the excep- | ted coolie class, the same right of en. l try to this country and the same treat ment while here as is guaranteed tc l citizens of any other nation. By exec, | utive action I am as rapidly as possi ble putting stop to the abuses whicl
 have grown up during many years ir l the administration of this law. I cal
 do good deal, and will do a good deal even without the action of the con | gress; but I can not do all that should l be done unless such action is taken l and that action I most earnestly hop | will be taken. It is needed in our owr | interest and especially in the interes
 of the Pacific slope and of the Souti
 Atlantic and Gulf States; for it il
 short-sighted indeed for us to permi l foreign competitors to drive us iron the great markets of China. More
 over, the action I ask is demanded b!
 considerations that are higher thai
 mere interest, for ask it in the nam
 of what is just and right Americ;
 should take the lead in establishing in
 ternational relations on the same basil
 of honest and upright dealing whicl
 we regard as essential as between maj
 and man.
 1 SQUARE DEAL TO REPORTERS.