Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-01-06

III tzIl fore. What year ago was
la WI generally re -arded in the east
82az1NI as a local matter" interesting
the Pacific coast but of little moment to
the rest of the country, has become the
topic of leading editorials from day to
day in many of the most influential news
papers on the Atlantic coast. The New
York Journal of Commerce presents the
matter from a viewpoint that is worthy
of some attention, whether the average
man In California will agree with the
writer-or not He says
Two members of the presidents cabl-
net have recently made a contribution TO
the discussion of the relations of ths
United States with the two great nations
of Eastern Asia - China and Japan.
Secretary Straus of the department OF
commerce and labor points out in his
annual report that 1t never has been the
| purpose of this government to exclude
! persons of the Chinese race merely De-
| cause they are Chinese regardless or the
| class to which they belong, and without
reference to their age, sex, culture or
occupation, OF to the object or their
coming or their length of stay. The real
purpose of the governments policy is 10
exclude particular and well-defined
class leaving other classes Of Chinese.
except as they together with all other
foreigners, may be included within the
prohibitions OF the general immigration
laws, as free to come and go as the clti-
gems or subjects of any other nation. But
the secretary finds that as the laws are
framed their apparent purpose was rigid
ly to exclude persons of the Chinese race
in general and to admit only such per-
sons of the race as fall within certain
expressly stated exemptions-as If, n
other words, exclusion were the rule and
admission the exception. Secretary Straus
rightly regards this feature of the pres
ent law as unnecessary and fraught with
irritating consequences He very proper
" thinks that laws so framed can only
be regarded as involving discrimina-
ton on account of race, and this, as he
adds, is opposed to the principles of the
republic and to the spirit Of its institu-
lions. He does not find 1t surprising
therefore, that both the Chinese govern
ment and the Chinese people should feel
aggrieved anu SHOULD in various ways
manifest their resentment and displeas-
ure. The secretary's remedy is the same
as that propounded by President Roose-
welt in lis annual message to congress
of December 8, 1905, and to which con-
gress was appealed in vain to give
effect. That is to say, the secretary pro-
poses that our laws shall be so framed
as to make admission the rule and ex
cluson the exception.
In making this recommendation the
| secretary of the department of COM
MERGE and labor has regard to the prac
teal effect upon nearly all the important
| interests under his charge OF existing
ti-Chinese legislation. He expressly
states that in so doing he has no wish
to oppose what he understands to be the
real policy OF the legislative department
of the government. AS matter OF fact,
| 4 10. 1OIf Nff ka eli
is to be inferred from the statutes it has
passed in the last twenty-five years, 1t
must be held to be one as nearly ap-
preaching exclusion as words can make
| It, The treaty of 1880 was agreed to by
| China at the express request of the gov
eminent of the United States, and is the
| first treaty in which there Is any men
ton of restricting the free coming OF
| people of Chinese birth TO the United
| States. But the treaty expressly pro-
vides that the Limitation or suspension
shall be reasonable, and shall apply only
to Chinese who may go to the United
States as laborers, other classes not be-
ing included in the limitations Bu'
this was not enough for congress, which
in spite of the Limitation quoted passe''
in 1882 an act entirely forbidding, for ten
years, any Chinese laborer to come to
the United States, or having come, 70
remain here. An act was passed in lSsi
to amend q. e., to make more harsh) the
act of 1882. The latter act was made ap-
plicabIe to all subjects of China and ev-
cry Chinese person. whether subjects OF
China or Of any other foreign power
and the word 'laborers was made to In
clude both skilled and unskilled laborerl
as we'll as miners. In 1888 congress passed
an act which entirely prohibited the re-
turn of all Chinese laborers to the
United States, and explicitly declared void
and of no effect the return certificates
already granted under the act OF 1882
The next act--that of May. 1S9S-laid the
burden of proof upon the Chinese to show
a right to enter the United States and
ordered that Chinese person convicted
and ad5udgsd to be not lawfully Ell
titled 10 be or 20 relpain in the United
States should bc imprisoned at hard labot
for a period not exceeding one year ana
thereafter deported. Another act of the
following year enlarged the definition OF
the word 1aborer,' and the act OF lS)'
placed every chnaman seeking to ente.