Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 1905)
rHE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 1905. CONGRESS CONSIDERS INDUSTRIAL AND POLITICAL PROBLEMS 10 GOWIMITTEEWORK WELL UNDER If Resolutions Body Acts Upon Important Subject at First Session. DISCUSS EXCLUSION TODAJ Forest Reserve Law Revision, State hood for New Jlexico, Depart ment of Mines, Appropri ations for Rivers. COMMITTEE on resolutions. Chairman, Fred TV. Fleming:, Mis souri. Secretary. Eugene A. Hawkins, Texas. Adjourned meeting: this morning at 9 o'clock In the Chapman Sohool, near Exposition. Resolutions recommended for adop tion by Congress: Use or waters of navigable rivers more Important for Irrigation pur poses than for navigation. Immediate statehood for Territory of New Moxlco. Creation of Department of Mines and additional Cabinet portfolio. Construction of storage reservoirs at headwaters of stroams. Adequate Federal appropriations for widening, deepening and extending harbors. Proper maintenance of forest reserves. The committee on .resolutions of. the rrans-Mlsslsslppl Commercial Congress met at the Chapman School building, near the Fair grounds, at 2 o'clock, yesterday afternoon, and at once proceeded to or ganize by the election of Fred W. Flem ing, of Kansas City, chairman, and Eu gene A. Hawkins, of Galvseton, Tex., sec retary. Every state was represented, and actual business was the order from the very first. Ex-Governor Prince, of New Mexico, and others emphatically declared that so far the Congress had been entirely given over to speeches and addresses of welcome and counter addresses of com pliments, all very well in their way, but entirely eliminating the- actual and im portant business of the session. Ex-Gov-crnbr Prince urged the committee to get down to hard work at once and let the whole world know what the congress Is actually doing. This appeared to be the sentiment of the entire membership, and tinder the chairmanship of Mr. Fleming, business was expedited. For Modification of Forestry Laws. Mr. Tannahill. of Idaho, Introduced a resolution regarding forest reserves -which aroused considerable discussion. Ex-Governor Moore, of Washington, argued that the present generation should reap the advantages and that the hardy pioneer should enloy all the benefits. Mr. Craig, of California, asked In what way the forest reserve act Intereferd with raining, and Mr. Tannahill, of Idaho, ex plained that the Government would not sell the necessary timber, and that It was, therefore, impossible, to prosecute active mining In or adjacent to a forest reserve. Ex-Governor Prince, of New Mexico, ad dressed the committee briefly, stating that much difficulty had been engendered by, perhaps, the over-zealousnoss of Govern ment officials In certain localities, "but," said he, "we of New Mexico have expe rienced no difficulty In the application of the law, but at the same time, I favor the passage of a resolution advocating more and extreme care on the part of officials iw the operation of the law." "the chairman then appointed Mr. Black, of Washington; ex-Governor Prince, of New Mexico, and Mr. Craig, of California, and Mr. Tannahill, of Idaho, as a commit tee to draff a resolution bearing on the subject of forest reserves, and the com mittee was Instructed to report at Its ear liest convenience. The California delegation offered a reso lution on the Irrigation proposition reading as follows: Irrigation Versus Navigation. "Resolved. That the use of the river "waters of the Trans-Mississippi States are of vastly greater value to greater numbers when applied to irrigation than to navi gation, and hence, when the demand of irrigation requires such a volume ,of the waters of any navigable stream as to ren der It- less navigable, such conditions should not be permitted to interfere In any manner with the prosecution and op eration of irrigation works." Judge Samuel Kimble, of Kansas, chal lenged the resolution as too drastic, but Sclpio Craig, of California, championed it in a very warm address, in which he said irrigation -was worth more to the people of the United States than all the naviga tion In the world. The resolution was unanimously adopted upon motion of Mr. Craig. Statehood for New Mexico. Ex-Governor Prince, of New Mexico, in troduced the following resolution in re gard to the admission of New Mexico as a separate state: "Whereas, The fundamental principle of American republicanism is that of self government, and no body of American citizens should be deprived of that right when It is possible to exercise it; there fore, Resolved, That the people of New Mex ico should no longer be deprived of self government, and that territory should be admitted without delay." This resolution was adopted without de mur, and ex-Governor Prince then Intro duced the following- in reference to the creation of a Department of Mines, the bead of which should be a Cabinet officer: Resolved. That the mining Industry of the United States hao grown to such proportions cad Importance, and is capable of such va.it extension if fostered by the Government as Is the agricultural industry, that we heartily favor the establishment by act of Congress of a National Department of Mines and Mining, whose head shall be a Cabinet officer. This resolution went over until near the close of the meeting, when it was adopted without dissent. Ex-Governor Moore, of Washington, moved that all resolutions on the Chi nese boycott and exclusion be referred to a committee. The chair appointed Moore of Washington, Benjamin of California and Kimble of Kansas as such committee. Storage Reservoirs for Floodwaters. Mr. Hill, of Colorado, offered the fol lowing: "Resolved, That In the approprla- ORATORS OE THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI CONGRESS iwauiv;(T jai i i wit 1 i m l n I'vy lit.vrv ta m i i . i T-r Geo ,,.DCVE. t?o Oil. H9 tion made by our National Congress for the construction of leveos and othor improvements for the control of the high waters of the Mississippi and other rivers throughout the United States needing such improvement, we recommend that special Investigation be given by Congress to the practica bility of the construction of large storage reservoirs at the headwaters of such streams, so as to store the water during their flood season, in or der to relieve the threatened dangers caused by them below, and to allow their use later for the irrigation of the land tributary to such stroams by the canals and reservoirs taking and to take water therefrom." This resolution was. adopted by a unanimous vote. E. A. Hawkins Jr., and E. F. Harris, of Texas, Introduced a resolution re questing an adequate appropriation, by the Federal Government for widening, deepening and extending our harbors so as to admit the largest modern steamships, and specially providing for the improvement of the port of Galveston in accordance with the rec ommendations of the United States Board of Engineers, at a cost of $169. 000, tho balance of the money neces sary to complete the work now under way. This resolution was adopted by the committee. Mr. Black, of Washington, reported the following substitute for the reso lutions on forest reserve, and it was adopted by a unanimous vote: Resolved, That we Indorse and approve the creation and maintenance of forest reserves under Just and reasonable conditions. We, however, urge that the utmobt caution be had in the extension of present forest re serves and that he extensions be had without due regard to the condition and rights of the communities affected, or to the location of homesteads or any tracts, large or small, which are capable of cultivation; And be It further rosolved that we rge the immediate repeal of all Jaws and orders of the Interior Department limiting the use of timber products to the state or territory in which the same are cut. Extreme Immigration Suggestion. Mr. Black, of Washington moved that it be the sense of the congress that all foreigners be admitted from all countries without restriction. The motion was seconded and for the mo ment took the breath away from every member present. Only the wild yelling of the crowd at the adjacent baseball grounds, when McLaln swatted the ball permeated the Chapman School building. No decision was had and upon motion of Mr. Topping:, of Mis souri, the committee adjourned to meet at 9 o'clock today, at which time it will grapple with the Chlnoso question, which appears to be the all-absorbing theme, and will also probably complete its labors and prepare to submit its report to the Congress as a body. THEME OF SESSION Great Men Discuss Important Question at Congress. IMMIGRATION CHIEF TOPIC to Commercial Captains Advance Ideas Take Form In Recom mendations for Legislation That Is Needed. TOPICS OF SPEAKERS. Subjects of addresses at yesterday's session of "the Traas-MlsalssTppl Con gress: Oriental Trade. Immigration. Chinese Exclusion. Columbia River Improvement. Upbuilding of Merohant Marine. Subjects for Today. Mining and Creation ef Department of Mines, in National Government. Domestic Manufactures. Livestock Interests. American Scenery. The Chinese question was opened In the Trans-Mississippi Congress by President Wilcox, who led up to the subject by de scribing the growth of American trade in the Orient, especially In China and Japan, In the last decade. The speaker treated of wheat and flour and lumber exports. In which the Pacific Northwest has been most interested and in cotton and manu factured shipments, which concerned other parts of the United States. Mr. Wilcox's paper was considered very able, and was many times applauded. The speaker said that the United States in the exclusion law had given "to other nations, our competitors for this trade with China, such a weapon against us as will prove our undoing If not quickly destroyed," and that no matter whether the Chinese government should approve the boycott or not It "cannot force Its merchants to buy American goods," and "Australia will furnish the flour, India the cotton. British Columbia the lumber and Europe the balance of their require ments." Situation Demands Immediate Action The situation he said "must be met and satisfied without delay," but the -United States has been so "faithless" to its treaty obligations and so "flagrant" in Its of fenses "that it is doubtful if this will now suffice to restore our proper trade rela tions." "If admission of a limited number of Chinese coolies Into this country becomes necessary to pacify Chinese merchants, I shall favor such action to such extent as Chinese coolie labor can be employed with in our domain without serious detriment to our own American laborers. "Such laborers," he asserted, "were needed In clearing of lands, cultivation of sugar beets, fruitralslng and hopgrowing and common labor that will not pay the wages which white labor demands. A moderate number (of coolies) could be easily assimilated and absorbed In the Interests that require that sort of labor. "Terrifying spectacles of race riot and bloodshed, held up to us by newspapers and politicians," Mr. Wilcox did not take seriously. For an Immigration Commission. Passing to immigration in general Mr. Wilcox declared: "It Is high time that the gateways to this country be closed against the undesirable element of all nations. The most pressing problem before the American Nation today Is not Chinese ex clusion, but exclusion of the undesirable class of every nation and every clime from the United States in the future. I believe we should not only call on the President to appoint an Immigration commission to investigate and report to Congress, with recommendations for a comprehensive law, stringent and studied, to cover every un desirable person from every country, but we should see to It that' the members of Congress give their time and effort to the accomplishment of something that should have been done a score of years ago." John Barrett followed with a speech that embraced ground similar to that cov ered by Mr. Wilcox, but In a manner dis tinctively his own. It Is not too much to say that his address made a deeper im pression on the congress than that of any other speaker. His delivery was with out notes, and his manner pleasing to the highest degree. He showed a knowl edge of the subject that repeatedly sur prised his auditors. Many times he was applauded, 'and at the end General Noble, who presided, thanked him from tho chair for his able exposition of trade con ditions. "The golden rule." said Mr. Barrett, "should govern the dealings of nations with each other, the same as persons The United States should first cast the beam out of its own eye. and then It would see clearly to cast the mote out of the eye of other nations. For exam ple, the United States before ridiculing South American republics for their fre quent revolutions might get rid of graft in Its own borders an evil unknown among these republics. Make Yellow Peril Yellow Blessing". The most startling of Mr. Barrett's ut terance was: "T" he so-called yellow peril, viewed in a practical light, can be de scribed as a bogle. The yellow peril may be made a yellow blessing." This was one of eight propositions treated by Mr. Barrett. The others were In brief: First The most critical period in the h tory of American-Asiatic commerce would seem to be at hand, owing to the Chlneso boycott. Invoked because of failure of Amcrl- IIISTORY OF CONGRESSES. "Where and rhen Trans-Mlsalsslppi Congrees has made history and men who have been president: June. IKK). Galveston. W. M. Fish back. Arkansas; May, 1601. Denver, B. P. Ferry, Utah; October, 1891. Omaha, C. S. Thomas, Colorado; February. 1S02. New Orleans. L- Bradford Prince. New Mexico; April. 1803. Ogden. -W. S. McConnell. Idaho; February. 1S94. San Francisco. II. R. Whltmore, Missouri; November. 1S1M. St. Louis. George Q. Cannon. Utah; November, 1895. Omaha, W. J. Bryan. Nebraska; July, 1S37. Salt Lake. Hugh Craig. California; May, 1809. Wichita. E. O. Stanaril. MtMOurl; April. 1900. Houston, J. R. G. Pitkin. Louisiana; July. 1001. Cripple Creek. Walter SGresham, Texas; August, 1002, St. Pail. John Henry Smith. Utah: Augnst. 1 1908, Seattle, John H. Klrby. Texas; October, 1004, St- Louis. Richard C. Kerens. Missouri; August. 1905. Port land, Or., T. B. Wlleox, Oregon. For Next Session and President. Denver. New Orleans. Kansas City and Salt Lake City are candidate for the 1900 scsalon. John W. Noble, of" St. Louis, and H. D. Loveland, of San Francisco, are most prominently men tioned as presidential possibilities. cans to carry out the golden rule; either Europe or America Is to be the dominating Influence In the foreign commerce of Asia. Second Defenders and promoters of the boy cott declare that China Is asking a new deal and a square deal In her relations with the foreign world; there Is no greater mistake than to think of China aa a nation composed exclusively of coolies. Third The Chinese have a distinct racial and national pride that we are prone to over look; it Is only a question of time when China, like Japan, will startle tho world with her onward movement. , Believes Problem Will Settle Itself. Fourth A cardinal fault of Europeans and Americans In China Is their spirit of patron age, their "holler than thou" attitude, their unsympathetic, superior and haughty manner. Fifth In discussing the poralble dangers of Asiatic labor competition and Asiatic 1mm! gratlon In America, It Is well to bear In mind that the price of labor on the Anlatle Coast has Increased 25 per cent In the last decade and that It bids fair to Increase proportion ately In the next decade; the awakening of the Orient will keep laborers at home so that the problem In America will settle Itself. Sixth Exploit ChlnaVi resources, give It rail roads, open Its rivers and provide the Chinese masses with money and they will purchase as much correspondingly as other people. Seventh The remarkable growth and pres ent value of American commerce on the Pa cific demonstrates beyond question Its Impor tance: It has; Increased 200 per cent la the last ten yearn. "Unreasoning Fears qf Unionism F. B. Thurbcr, of New York, president of the United States Export Association, read a paper on "Future' Markets in the Orient." As to Chinese exclusion Mr. Thurber asserted that America should not let "the unreasoning fears of Ameri can trades unionism Insult the educated Asiatics who come to trade with us or to study with us, even If a few coolies do get In under false pretenses. I believe that yellow journalism, which seeks to play on the prejudices and fears of organ ized labor, is a greater peril than Eastern or Western Immigration." After describing with many figures the growth of trade In the Orient, Mr. Thur bcr adverted to the American railroad problem In the course of his remarks on transportation and declaimed against conferring the rate-making power" to "an Inexperienced political commission of five men. when -CO skilled traffic managers, who have devoted their lives to this bus ness, cannot suit everybody." The speak er took occasion to say that high hopes of commercial growth from the Panama Canal will not bo realized "until we get an American merchant marine to use It. Ten per cent of the amount we spend an nually on our navy, spent In building up an American merchant marine, would be the best Investment the United States could make." Some National Policies Advocated. The needs of the United States, Mr. Thurber detailed as follows: First To foster our transportation sys tem both on sea and land. Help It, don't cripple it! Second TVe need to appreciate that this Is the age of steam, electricity, machinery and organization, and that untrammelrd American Individualism controlling these forces will produce better results than offi cialism, socialism and communism. Yellow journalism Is dally, weekly and monthly teaching the contrary. Don't shy at "trusts." whether of labor or capital. They represent "organization." Control but don't crlppla them. We are dependent upon them for progress. Third Our foreign policy should favor "the open door." and to get this we should make . reasonable concessions In our tariff policy, through reciprocity or otherwise. Fourth As minor means to this end. sys tematize our consular service on a basla of permanency, promotion and adequate com pensation. We have superior talent in our consular service as a Vbole. but it Is dwarfed and discouraged by the lack of these prime requisites. Fifth Revise our treaties with Oriental countries so that while protecting American labor against "the yellow peril." It will glvo both American labor and American capital "the yellow opportunity" to supply S00 mil lions of Asiatics with what they want to buy and what we want to sell. The merchant marine was the subject of a paper by George W. Dickie, of San Francisco. Mr. Dickie dwelt on the lam entable features of the decline of the mer chant marine. He said that all American ships In foreign and interstate commerce should be relieved of taxation, and that the merchant marine should have addi tional aid through National legislation. Said he: "The state can foster shipping just as effectively as the Nation, as the benefits to be derived from large shipping interests will center In the shlpownlng and ship building states. For instance, to every shin built and owned in the state in which she Is enrolled the harbors of the stnte ought to be free, and all shipping property when engagod In interstate or foreign commerce should be relieved of all stnte or munlicpal taxes. Some states have done this, to a limited extent, and these states own whatever ocean trade this country possesses today. Tho eyes of the people of this country are being opened to the Importance of naval power, both In a military and commercial sense, also to the future position we are destined to occupy among the great nations, of the world. One thing Is certain: We have en tered on a course that Is to lend us. If not Into deep water, at least on to deep wa ter, and on deep water we will be much safer In our own ships." Idaho, committee permanent organiza tion M. E. Lewis. Moscow. Resolutions, George W. Tannahill. Lewlston: J. R. Good, Boise. Executive committee. J. R. Good, Boise. Vice-president, John B. Morris, Lewlston. Colorado Resolutions. James F. Call breath, Denver: George W. Schneider. Denver. Permanent organization. J. B. Melyille. Denver. Executive committee. A. F. Francis, Cripple CreJfc. Vice-president. Mitchell Benedict. Denver. Missouri Permanent organization. E. E. Yates. St. Louis; Colonel Frod W. Fleming. Kansas City. Resolutions. H. B. Topping. Kansas City. Vice-president, General John W. Noble. St. Louis. Nebraska Executive committee. C. B. Anderson, Crete: J. H. Arends, Syracuse. Resolutions. A. C. Smith. C. B. Porter. Omaha. Vice-president, H. T. Clarke, Omaha. Minnesota Permanent organization. John Kingsley. Pipestone. Executive committee. John Kingsley, Pipestone. Resolutions, W. R. Edwards. Tracey; H. E. Hutphlngs, Tracey. Vice-president. H. El Hutchings. St. Paul. Utah Permanent organization, John R. Barnes. Farmington. Resolutions. Jo seph Stanford, Ogden. Executive com mittee, George Romney, Salt Lake. Vice president, William N. Williams. Salt Lake. New Mexico Permanent organization. L. B. Prince. Resolutions, L. B. Prince. G. R. Engledow. Vice-president, G. R. Engledow. Iowa Permanent organization, Charles L. Early. Resolutions. C. F. Saylor. Hen-" ry Stone. Vice-president, J. L. Kammr. Executive committee, Edward H. Hunter. California Permanent organization. John E. Baker. Resolutions. Sclpio Craig. E. H. Benjlman. Vice-president. Benja min F. Lynlp. Alturas. Texas Resolutions committee. E. A. Hawkins. Edward F. Harris. Galveston. Vice-president. D. D. Peden, Houston. Washington Permanent organizations. John T. Welch, South Bend. Resolutions. J. B. Lease, Centraiia: M. D. Walters. Walla Walla. Executive committee. J. R. Stevenson. Pomeroy. Vice-president. Governor Albert E. Mead. Kansas Resolutions committee. Sam Kimble, J. B. Case. Executive commit tee. E. E. Hoffman. Permanent organ ization, A. J. White. Vice-president, John E. Frost. Copyright, 1905. by Klser Photo Comptny. PRESIDENT DAVID R. FRANCIS, OF THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION, GOVERNOR CHAMBERLAIN AND LOCAL FAIR OFFICIALS. FAVORS DEPER COLUMBIA (Continued from First Page.) In the United States, was roundly scored at yesterday's session of the Trans-Mississippi Congress, in the Exposition Audi torium, by T. B. Wilcox, of Portland, president; John Barrett. Minister to Co lombia, and F. B. Thurber. of New York, who declnred in prepared addresses. r sponding to the vigorous antl-Chlnese ut terances of Governor Chamberlain and Governor Mead, the day preceding, that unless the United States shall quit tho policy, it will be shut out of tho markets of China, and will thereby lose Its trade foothold in the Orient. Debate on the subject has not yet broken forth: in fact, the congress has not come to the debating stage, and may not until 'tomorrow. The sessions of yesterday, and the day before were de voted to delivery of addresses and ap pointment of several committees. Including those on resolutions and permanent or ganization, neither of which has reported. Debate will begin on the report of tho committee on resolutions, to which all resolutions are referred without discus sion. The committee, therefore. Is ex pected to have a big fight over the ques tion before it shall be brought up in tho Congress. Yesterday afternoon, the com mittee carefully shied off from the matter, but may take it up this morning. The day before, Governor Chamberlain declared that exclusion should be made even more rigid, and that it should shut out Japanese also. Governor Mead; of Washington, sided with him In positive terms, and Governor Pardee, of Califor nia, proclaimed himself opposed to Immi gration, not only of low-grade Chinese, but also of low-grade Europeans and Afri cans. Their remarks were applauded not nearly so loudly as the words of yester day's speakers, showing unmistakably that the congress favors a softened ex clusion policy. In order to ward off tho threatened Chinese boycott, and that while It would make the exclusion bars to Chinese lower. It would make those, to Europeans and other Immigrants high er, so as to shut out riff-raff of all na tions. The speakers proclaimed the Immi gration of mongrel humanity admitted at New York to be as evil to this Nation as that of laborer coolies at San Francisco, and the congress commended their opinion loudly. Upbuilding of the merchant marine was ably treated by George W. Dickie, of San Francisco. Election of new officers and selection of the next place of meeting will be disposed of by the committee on permanent organ ization, report from which the congress Is accustomed to adopt In such matters. The report will be forthcoming today or tomorrow. Men frequently mentioned for president are John W. Noble and D. R. Francis, of St. Louis, and H. D. Loveland, ofSan Francisco. Two addresses on yesterday's pro gramme were not delivered one by P. J. Van Lobensels. of San Francisco, "Im provement of Rivers": the other by B. C. Wright, of San Francisco, "The W est tho Best." They were the last on the pro gramme, and when that time arrived, the ears of the members were so weary and their stomachs so empty that they shut off the waiting gentlemen with scant ceremony. Tho session had already lasted more three hours, and when a pro posal was made to hear the last two ad dresses, loud shouts of opposition came from several parts of the hall, and John W. Noble, of St, Louis, in the chair, was constrained to allow adjournment. This was after somebody from Kansas had sug gested that the addresses be read by tltlo only and Mr. Von Lobensels had boiled down his speech to the remark: "Under the tender mercies of the War Department, the Sacramento River has been kept as a menace and a curse In stead of a blessing and a boon." Mr. Wright Indulged In a facetious "I thank you. gentlemen, for your patience." If the two gentlemen felt their feathers ruffled, they wore heroic smiles just the jjaame. 1