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Show CHINA AND THE EXCLUSION ACT. Ii The Merchants' Association of New York ' Jj City unite in asking the president to negotiate a new treaty with China, declaring that the pres- ; ,1 jH ent exclusion law injures trade, especially iro , jH cotton goods, which would be full of promise . jH except for that law. There are severa things to be considered be- ti ' fore the new treaty s framed. 'i, jH The first one is Liat with or without an ex- t jH elusion law, China will buy what she buys where ' j 1 1 'H she can obtain the goods cheapest. In business ; , China is controlled by no sentimental considera- 1 1 tions whatever. Again up to five years ago , American trade balances with China were always j 1 1 1 heavily in favor of China, and we suspect they still are. But there is a feature, of the business IH that must not be overlooked. The possibilities are that peace will be nego- 1 H tiated between Russia and Japan in the coming ; ( H few weeks. That will involve a heavy indemnity j j, to be paid Japan by Russia and probably a stipu- i 1 1 tm lation that Russia shall not again send more ' ' ' than a few warships to the Pacific. Well, that in- ' demnity will no doubt be used as Germany used ; i ' the indemnity obtained from France to build , 1 1 H up manufacturies and shipping. At the same time ' 1 fjLX she will assume direct or indirect control of the trade of China. When that is done, there will be Wm no more sales of cotton goods in China by out- side powers. Some raw cotton will find a sale there , j Lm and that will be all. More than that with the ex- ' j elusion law repealed and the horde turned again ' i mm upon our west coast, even as it was in the sixties, j ; as it was before, the clothing of that horde will ! , mm be sent from the Orient. To seek trade advant- , ' H ages with that country through opening our ! ' - H ports to their vices and their appalling thrift, will J. j H bring no reward. The hope held to the lips will ( ' ', ' , H be broken to the heart. Ji H The way to deal with the question is the same ' j II as with every other question on the dead square. j I H After patient trial our country passed the ex- ' ! elusion act on the ground that the Chinese in the 'I ) United States offered no compensation for their i ") 1 coming and that their presence in hosts on our soil was a direct wrong to the working men and it women of our country, and that the presence of i ' ' Chinese in vast numbers on our soil would be a ' ' j I j' menace to free institutions. If anything has trans- ; j j ; pired to weaken that conclusion, then the advisa- ' , J bility of making a new treaty may be considered. , 'M We have seen no reason to change the conclus- ti-! ion reached by the country and by congress i iff twenty-seven years ago. I ''ji' We would much prefer to have the inflow of J . the motley host from southern Europe vastly re-duced, re-duced, rather than to see the west coast of our V' country again opened to the scourge of the starv- i s j rdes from the Orient. ill ! i |