The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-01-27
WI 58I3fS Il ~ h

Labor, where he animadverts upon the
subject of the administration of the
Chinese exclusion laws, by the an
nouncement that the Administration
is preparing a bill, which it hopes will
pass, and which is intended to make
the administration of the exclusion
laws both more economical and more
effective, and at the same time, strange
as it may seem at first glance, less
Objectionable to the Chinese them
! selves.
The subject of Chinese exclusion has
been a source of worry for several
years, and each succeeding head of the
! department of the government having
charge of the administration of it has
sought to find way out of the diff
ficulty. Secretary Straus has studied
the subject carefully, even going to
the Canadian border, the Pacific Coast
and to Honolulu in his effort to learn
| the real conditions and the most eff
fective solution. Then he was given
a San Francisco man, William r.
Wheeler, who had intimate knowledge
of the Chinese question, as an assist
ant, and together they have worked
out what is thought to be a feasible
solution of the question.
In the first place, the Department Of
Commerce and Labor has become con-
WINGED that it is very bad administra-
tive policy to have separate sets of
inspectors for Chinese and for other
immigrants. And, in the second place,
it is thought to be more properly an
Executive than a judicial function to
administer the law. An administrated
by the courts, there are many delays
and somtimes evasions of the law 1t
is stated that one Judge in New Eng
land turned loose in this country more
than 1000 CnInese who were held on
suspicion of having violated the eX
clusion law, giving each one of them
certificate stamping him with citizen
ship as native-born Chinese. Even
today the so-called "McGettrick GER
tificates'' are turning up continually. 1t
is impossible to go back of that court
record.
1t must not be understood that there
is any desire or intention or making
it easier for Chinese to get into the
United States The proposed change
in the law would, in ract, make it
harder for the prescribed classes to
enter, because the entire immigration
force would be on the watch for them,
and it would make it infinitely easier
to deport those who did get in lille
gally.
STRAUS' VIEW OF THE CASE.
In introducing the subject in his an
nual report, Secretary Straus says that
his views on it are conceived "in the
light of the principle that whatever
measure a nation may find it necessary
or expedient to adopt, on grounds OF
public policy and in view of the we'll
being of it's people the manner of its
enforcement should be such, where the
rights of other nations and other peo-
pies are concerned, as to cause the
least offense, while securing in the
fullest degree the result desired. A
year ago it was pointed out that both
the Chinese Government and the chi
nese people regarded the matter in the
light of a grievance, and in various
ways had manifested their displeas- |
ure; that for reasons OF commercial
self-interest, as well as on the higher |
ground of international friendship and !
good WILL the laws should be changed, |
so that the policy of excluding certain |
foreigners from American territory |
might be enforced without needlessly
offending the amour propre of friend
ly nation or unnecessarily humiliating |
a whole people when only particular
class was to be reached; and that this |
could be done, not by making it any
easier for Oriental laborers to enter, |
but by so framing our laws and trea-
ties as to make admission the rule and |
exclusion the exception, while preserv-
ing at the same time in all its integ-
rity the present policy of the laws and |
even strengthening, where necessary,
the prohibitory features thereof
through a full and explicit definition |
of the excluded classes, thus comply |
ing with the well-considered and far
seeing recommendations of the Presi- |
dent in his annual message of Deem
Der 5, 1905"
In the message referred to the Presi-
dent said: Our laws and treaties
should be framed not so as to put these
people in the excepted classes, but to
state that we will admit all Chinese,
except Chinese of the coolie class, Chi
nese skilled or unskilled laborers. |
There would not be the least danger
that any such provision would result |
in any relaxation of the law about la
borers. These will, under all condi-
tions, be kept out absolutely"
TO CHANGE THE STATUTE.