The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-04-27

| nese race in general. and to admit only
| such persons of the race as fall within
certain expressly stated exemptions.
regard this feature of the present laws
as unnecessary and fraught. with irri-
tating consequences. In the admins
tration of the laws as framed. no mat
ter what care is taken to treat with
courtesy and consideration persons OF
the Chinese race who are lawfully en-
titled to admission it is impossible that
! those who have to endure the formal
ties required of them should fail to
take offence and to resent as humilia-
ton the manner in which by law they
are distinguished from natives of other
countries. Laws so framed can only be
regarded as involving discrimination
ON account of race. though discrimina-
tions on account of race, color, pre-
vious condition or religion, are alike
opposed to the principles of the Re-
public and to the spirit of its institu-
tions.
CHINESE RESENTMENT.
cit is not surprising, therefore, that
both the Chinese government and the
Chinese people should feel aggrieved,
and should in various ways manifest
tuSIT IestutkI4eHb anu LHeIT
The attitude of the Chinese govern
ment may be inferred from the fact
that in 1904, after the convention of
1894 had been in force ten years, China
availed herself OF her reserved right
and formally denounced the treaty, re-
fusing longer to be party to an ar
rangement which, as carried into effect,
was offensive to her national pride
''The understanding in China, her
officials contended, was that the OBJ
ject of the treaty and of the laws was
to exclude laborers; not that the enum-
GRAFTON of certain exempt classes should
operate as an exclusion of all other
classes and of laborers besides; while
the Interpretation of our laws on the
subject was declared to be not only
that those Chinese shall be excluded
who are expressly forbidden entrance
namely, laborers-but that only those
may be admitted who are expressly al
lowed
DISASTROUS BOYCOTT.
''For proof of the feeling of the
Chinese people, it Is only necessary to
refer to the boycott of American goods,
inaugurated by various trade guilds and
business and commercial associations
of the Empire during the summer of
1905. At that time China held first
rank among Oriental countries as con-
sumner of American products In that
year, her total commerce amounted to
$497, 100000, of which $329,000,000
were imports; $57 ,00O0 900, or more than
IL per cent, being supplied by the
United States The exports from the
mi C+aAoe r. baJ %,
these proportions by rapid strides They
were less than 100000 in the seven
ties They only reached $7,500,000 in
1900, $24,000,000 in 1902, $57 100000
in 1905. It was reasonable to believe
that American trade would continue to
progress in something like the same
ratio, and larger and larger share of
the foreign trade of China accrue to
the United States. Instead of. that,
the exports of the United States to
China, according to our statistics, fell
to $44 100000 in 1906, and to $4,000
900 in 1907.
HIGHER THAN COEIMERCIAL1SM
cit is not necessary to attribute the
decline wholly to the boycott of 1905,
but drop in our expectations to that
country of so per cent. in two years is
sufficiently startling to challenge at
tention. But on higher grounds than
those of commercial interest should the
frame of the laws be changed. The
relations between China and the United
States have always been most friendly.
1t is not only the right but the duty of
this government, for its own protec-
ton and for the security and welfare
of its citizens, to exclude foreigners
from its territory whenever public in
terests require. But to so exercise that
right as to needlesslv offend the amour
propre of friendly nation, or unnec-
essari1y humiliate whole people when
only particular class is to be reached,
cannot be the action intended. 81
RIGID EXCLUSION OF LABOR.
81 would not suggest change in the
established policy of rigidly excluding
Chinese laborers OF every description,
both skilled and unskilled. The policy
has been and will continue to be as eff
feetively enforced as circumstances will
permit. But, at time when this pol
icy of exclusion has been so thorough
ly applied that there remain in the
United States only about 10000 Chi
nese-less than one-tenth of one per
cent of our population-little danger
need be apprehended from full and
fair reconsideration of the subject and
a recasting of the laws upon a juster
basis. Indeed, more opportune mo-
ment than the present can hardly be
desired for reaching better under
standing with China on the subject of
Chinese immigration, and for adjusting
the letter to the spirit of our national
policy of exclusion.
BY making admission the rule, and
exclusion the exception, we could easily
preserve the present policy in all it's
integrity, and even strengthen the real
prohibitory features thereof, at the
same time entirely removing a material
cause of friction, dissatisfaction and
unnecessary humiliation to the people
of a friendly nation"