Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1907-03-20
With MEETING
Messrs. Hayward and Watson Have
Satisfactory Interview With Che
President and Secretary Bonaparte.

The special Washington correspon-
dent Of the Columbia State sends
his paper the following account Of
tile conference between Ex-Governor
Hayward and Commissioner Watson
and President Roosevelt and Secre-
tary Bonaparte; which will be Of
special interest to all South Caro=
linians:
Ex-Gov. Hayward, president Of the
Southern immigration society, and
Commissioner E. j. Watson held a
long conference with the president
and Attorney General Bonaparte as
to the meaning of the immigration
laws. A widespread misunderstand-
ing of the attorney generals recent
opinion upon the status Of the Witte-
kind immigrants was primarily -the
occasion for this conference. This
misunderstanding arose out of num-
ber or papers on the day the opinion
was forwarded to the president, stat:
ing that hereafter under the new law
all state could do towards Undue:
ing immigration was to "advertise. y
No such statement was made by the
attorney general. In fact, he made
no Interpretation of the. new law
whatever, except to say that under it
the circumstances surrounding the adj
mission Of the Wittekind immigrants
would exclude them. He did not un-
dertake to say in that opinion what
state might OF might not do towards
inducing immigration. All of this
the attorney general explained to ex-
Gov. Hayward and Commissioner
Watson.
will Sail For Bremen.
As a result Of the conference Col.
Watson has gone ON his way to New
York and will leave there for Bremen
to induce more immigrants to come in
on the North German Lloyd vessel,
which will leave Bremen on or about
April Is.
P. H. Gadscn, vice president of
the chamber of commerce of Char
lesion, goes with Col. Watson to as
sist in arranging for a permanent line
from Bremen to Charleston.
Discussing the matter just before
leaving, Col. Watson said:
"Gov. Hayward, last Friday, wired
President Roosevelt asking thai
everything in regard to this impor-
tant matter be held in allegiance until
he and I could confer with him.
President Roosevelt wired an ap
pointment. At this conference the
entire matter from beginning to end
was gone over carefully and Attor-
ney General Bonaparte explained
thoroughly the exact meaning Of his
opinion. On the other hand Gov.
Hayward and myself explained to the
president sLnd Mr.. Bohaparte the ex-
act situation in regard to the estab-
lishment Of the steamship service.
We explained every detail of our
method Of operation and told the
president we did not wish to do one
solitary thing OF take one solitary
step that was not absolutely within
the United States law.
.sI discussed with both the presi-
dent and Mr.. Bonaparte at some
length the economic question involv-
ed in opening the South Atlantic ter
ritory to direct service and to some
extent went into the effect of this un-
derstanding upon what is rapidly be-
coming the national immigration
problem at the great ports Of entry.
"In that the president seemed to
be very deeply interested. As to the
result of this conference, all I am al
liberty to say is that it has been
thoroughly satisfactory and that in
the near future, no doubt, the appli-
cation of Attorney General Bona
parts opinion to the practical opera
tion Of the plan that we have set in
operation will be made public IN a
very clear cut manner by the author
tiles at Washington.
"I do not feel that the movement
for immigration in the South will be
affected OF retarded in any way and
I am sure that the labor interests will
not only not be injured in any way,
but will be benefited. The confer
ence determined me to proceed dur
ing the night to New York and to
sail at once for Bremen on the Kron-
prinz William H."
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