Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-03-16
SHALL THEY ENTER?
CHINESE EXCLUSION FROM A
REASONABLE STANDPOINT.

CHINESE EXCLUSION FROM A
REASONABLE STANDPOINT.
The Class to Be Admitted as a Compromise
Shown to Be the More Dangerous Class
From the Fact That Intelligence. United
With Rare Cunning, May Admit the Para
sites Of Wealth. and Lead to Shaping Con.
ditions for All the Ills So Dreaded.
Mrs. Helen NJ. Cougar has written
with respect to" Chinese Exclusion
the following:
Like the mushroom that springs up
in night has grown the demand that
the Chinese exclusion act shall except
from its operation in the United States
the intelligent classes which are enum.
Grated as professional men, commercial
agents, bankers. lawyers, priests and
journalists. This demand has recently
received the endorsement OF the Cham.
Der Of Commerce of New York, the Mer.
chants club OF Chicago, and many OF
the leading newspapers of the country.
The proposition is sufficiently before
the people to deserve that all side. of
the important issue be considered.
One of the leading religious journals
OF the east puts the whole situation in
nutshell in the following editorial
comment:
"According to the Singapore dis
patches the boycott of American goods
has sprung up again in that city strong
er than ever before. It is further
stated that the situation there is crit.
ical. Chinese merchants that have per.
sisted in handling American products
have received threatening letters from
the men behind the movement. On
the other hand, we are told that the
executive council of the American Fed.
Grafton OF Labor, in its annual report.
demands the enforcement, to the letter,
of the Chinese exclusion laws of the
country. OF course there is no selfish.
ness in such an attitude! 1t remains
to be seen whether between Congress,
the President and Secretary Root, the
coming winter will see some states.
manlike act recorded which will re-.
dress the wrongs OF the cultivated,
professional Chinese, while properly
keeping the lower order OF laborers out
OF this country as at present. As the
matter now stands an arrangement
ought not to be difficult. For it is un.
derstood that China is willing tha. the
lsboring classes shall be excluded, but
asks that all other classes shall receive
the same treatment here that is &C.
corded similar classes from Europe.
The request is reasonable one. Ger.
tainly no good reason can be offered
for the exclusion of Chinese profes.
sional men, and particularly travel.
ing commercial agents. Chinese mer.
chants are admitted At present, but
the exclusion law is interpreted strict.
ly. and q commercial agent can not
enter as merchant. The exempted
glasses as the law stands are not nu.
merous and it 10 difficult to understand
Why Chinese banker, lawyer or jour.
nalist should be excluded while stu.
dents and teachers are admitted. We
want the best OF all nations to see US
and know us, and it 10 to be hoped
that this will be made possible before
the Ides OF March shall have come
and gone."
Who constitute the lsboring classes
that are already excluded and that
seem to be willing to be excluded
Those who toll with their hands, the
real wealth producers of every land
They are poor and it is a strange COM
mentary on the industrial conditions
that those who do the most and hard.
est work are the poorest! Those who
demand the exclusion only OF those
laborers must hold that labor and pov.
erty are twin disgrsces and by such
exclusion are willing to increase the
misery OF those who toll with their
hands and produce the wealth of the
world. Rather . peculiar doctrine fol-
. religious journal to endorse.
Why should laborers be excluded
from a country that has such wealth
Of undeveloped resources as America
has and allow only the parasites ol
wealth, such as merchants, bankers
lawyers, priests and professional men
to come in hordes, as they will come il
an exception is made in the exclusion
act in their favor?
Resolutions appear very just and
liberal, to the casual observer, that ask
for an open door for these favored
classes. But what will be the resul,
upon Americas young business man
hood? The commercial life of the
Orient gives warning answer. >
It is true that the cultivated China.
man is charming specime, Of the
human family; he is keen of intellect,
tireless in energy, honorable TO an
eminent degree, q skilled money.
changer, law abiding citizen. cheap
employe, poor home-maker, super.
stitious in religion, holds woman in
supreme contempt, possessing the
right of life and death over his wife OF
wives in his own country, brutal in his
| saL