Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-05
CHINESE IMMIGRATION.
Coolies Must Be Kept Out, but Others
Should Be Encouraged 10 Come.

AhCSbAOhS ASAll- III
with Chinese immigration stand by
| themselves. The conditions in China
are such that the entire Chinese cody
class-that is. the class of Chinese la
borers, skilled and unskilled 49, legiti-
i mately come under the head OF unde-
/ sirable immigrants To this country be-
( cause of their numbers. the low wages
! for which they work and their low
standard OF living. Not only is it to
/ the interest of this country to keep
| them out. but the Chinese authorities
do not desire that they should he adj
mitted. At present their entrance is
prohibited by laws amply adequate to
accomplish this purpose. These laws
have been, are being and will be thor
oughly enforced. The violations of
them are so few in number as TO be in
finitesimal and can be entirely diSre
garded. There is no serious proposal
10 alter the immigration law rs regards
the Chinese laborer. skilled or unsllill-
ed. and there is no excuse for any man
feeling or affecting To feel the slightest
alarm on the subject.
But in the effort to carry out the pol
icy of excluding Chinese laborers. Chi
lVSC NOpliCSs NAOhN
have been done by this nation to the
people of China and therefore ultimate
ly to this nation itself. Chinese stu
dents. business and professional men
of all kinds-not only merchants, but
bankers, doctors, manufacturers. pro-
fessors. travellers and the like-should
be encouraged TO come here and treat
ed on precisely the same footing that
we treat students. business men, trav-
elers and the like of other nations.
Our laws and treaties should be framed
not so as to put these people in the eX-
copied classes, but to state that we
will admit all Chinese except Chinese
of the cody class, Chinese skilled or
unSkilled laborers. There would not
be the least danger that any such pro-
vision would result in any relaxation
of the law about laborers. These will
under all conditions be kept out abso-
lutely. But it will be more easy TO
see that both justice and courtesy are
shown, as they ought TO be shown, to
other Chinese If the law or treaty is
framed as above suggested. Examina-
tions should be completed at the port
of departure from China. For this pur-
pose there should be provided more
adequate consular service in China
than we now have. The appropriations
both for the offices of the consuls and
for the office forces i'm the consulates
should be increased.
A Question of Equity.
As II people we have talked much of
the open door in China. and we expect
and quite rightly intend to insist upon
justice being shown us by the Chinese.
But we cannot expect to receive equity
unless we do equity. We cannot ask
the Chinese to do to us what we are I'M
willing to do to them. They would have
Il perfect right to exclude our laboring
men if our laboring men threatened to
come into their country in such num-
bers as to jeopardize the well being of
the Chinese population, and as, mutatis
mutandis these were the conditions
with which Chinese immigration actual
~ brought this people face to face we
had and have a perfect right, which the
Chinese government in no way con
tests, to act as we have acted in the
matter Of restricting cody immigration.
That this right exists for each country
was explicitly acknowledged in the last
we must treat the Chinese student.
traveller and business man In a spirit
IF the broadcast justice and courtesy IL
we expect similar treatment to be ac-
,orded to our own people of similar
'ank who go TO China. Much trouble
has come during the past summer from
he organized boycott against Ameri-
AN goods which has been started in
'hina. The main factor in producing
his boycott has been the resentment
elt by the students and business peo-
de OF China, by all the Chinese lead
RS, against the harshness OF our law
oward educated Cinnamon OF the pro-
essional and business classes.
This government has the friendliest
ceiling for China and desires China's
veil being We cordially sympathize
With the announced purpose of Japan
o stand for the integrity Of China.
'uch an attitude tends 10 the peace OF
he world
The Civil Service.
The civil service law has been on the
tatute books for twenty-five years.
very president and a vast majority Of
eads Of departments who have been
once during that period nave 1aVor-
4 "a gradual extension OF the merit sys-
I'm. The more thoroughly its princi-
les have been understood the greater
as been the favor with which the law
as been regarded by administrative
Ulcers. Any attempt to c4Fry on the
reat executive departments OF the
overnment without this law would in
vitality result in chaos. The civil serv-
e commissioners are doing excellent
ork, and their compensation is made
nate considering the service they per
,rm.
The statement that the examinations
@ not practical I'm character Is based
] Misrepresentation of the practice
the commission. The departments
q invariably consulted as TO the re-
Iirements desired and as to the char