signed an agreement on all the questions submitted by the terms of the convention. By this award the right of the United States to the control of a continuous strip or border of the mainland shore, skirting all the tide-water inlets and sinuosities of the coast, is confirmed; the entrance to Portland canal (concerning which legitimate doubt appeared) is defined as passing by Tongass inlet and to the northwestward of Wales and Pearse islands; a line is drawn from the head of Portland canal to the 56th degree of north latitude; and the interior border line of the strip is fixed by lines connecting certain mountain summits lying between Portland canal and Mt. St. Elias, and running along the crest of the divide separating the coast slope from the inland watershed at the only part of the frontier where the drainage ridge approaches the coast within the distance of 10 marine leagues stipulated by the treaty as the extreme width of the strip around the head of Lynn canal and its branches.

While the line so traced follows the provisional demarcation of 1878 at the crossing of the Stikine river, and that of 1899 at the summits of the White and Chilkoot passes, it runs much further inland from the Klehini than the temporary line of the later modus vivendi, and leaves the entire mining district of the Porcupine river and Glacier creek within the jurisdiction of the United States.

The result is satisfactory in every way. It is of great material advantage to our people in the far Northwest. It has removed from the field of discussion and possible danger a question liable to become more acutely accentuated with each passing year. Finally,

it has furnished a signal proof of the fairness and good-will with which two friendly nations can approach and determine issues involving national sovereignty and by their nature incapable of submission to a third power for adjudication.

Concerning the Philippines and Porto Rico the President

said:

Of our insular possessions, the Philippines and Porto Rico, it is gratifying to say that their steady progress has been such as to make it unnecessary to spend much time in discussing them. Yet the Congress should ever keep in mind that a peculiar obligation rests upon us to further in every way the welfare of these communities. The Philippines should be knit closer to us by Tariff arrangements. It would, of course, be impossible suddenly to raise the people of

Benefits to Filipinos.

433

the islands to the high pitch of industrial prosperity and of governmental efficiency to which they will in the end by degrees attain; and the caution and moderation shown in developing them have been among the main reasons why this development has hitherto gone on so smoothly. Scrupulous care has been taken in the choice of governmental agents, and the entire elimination of partisan politics from the public service. The condition of the islanders is in material things far better than ever before, while their governmental, intellectual, and moral advance has kept pace with their material advance. No one people ever benefited another people more than we have benefited the Filipinos by taking possession of the islands.

A considerable part of the message was devoted to an exposition of the situation regarding the revolution of Panama and the various movements in connection with the Isthmian Canal. This subject will be taken up in the following chapter.

On February 1, 1904, William H. Taft of Ohio, who had been Civil Governor of the Philippines, succeeded Elihu Root as Secretary of War Mr. Root not only retired from his position with the highest esteem of the President and fellowmembers of the Cabinet, but with the universally acknowledged verdict of the American people that he had made one of the best Secretaries of War in the history of our Government. He had been a tower of strength under the administrations of both McKinley and Roosevelt, and had done much in the lifting of our army and the lifting of the very country itself to the high position now occupied among the nations of the world. Luke E. Wright succeeded Mr. Taft as Civil Governor of the Philippines.

VOL. II.-28.

CHAPTER XVII.

CONSTRUCTIVE LEGISLATION-THE ISTHMIAN CANAL-THE SAME GRAND OLD PARTY-CONCLUSIONS.

HERE has been a considerable amount of legislation by

THE

the Republican party which has been of such a constructive and progressive character as to admit of only an occasional allusion in the preceding chapters. There have been policies and measures which it has taken many years to perfect, and many different Congresses to consider and bring to completion. Laws have from time to time been amended or revised to conform to new conditions, as, for instance, our pension laws, the Chinese Exclusion act, the various postal laws, particularly the recent measures perfecting rural free delivery, our immigration laws, and those leading to the construction of the Isthmian Canal.

Soon after the discovery of gold in California a considerable number of Chinese emigrants came to California, and their rapid increase in numbers aroused the opposition of the Pacific States to the effect that local legislation, which proved for the most part inoperative, was followed by an attempt at national legislation. In 1861 Anson Burlingame was appointed Minister to China, where he remained till 1867, at which time he was appointed by China as a special ambassador to negotiate treaties for that nation. Among other treaties which were concluded was one between the United States and China of date of July 28, 1868. In this treaty China first gave her adherence to international law. It was stipulated that joint efforts were to be made against the coolie trade; and liberty of conscience and worship and rights of residence and travel, as accorded to

Chinese Exclusion

435 the most favored nation, were guaranteed to Chinese in America and Americans in China. The cry of "The Chinese must go" became, however, more and more pronounced, and Congress was appealed to to afford some relief to the Pacific coast from the swarms of Mongolians flocking to that shore. In 1879 a bill passed both Houses of Congress limiting the number of Chinese passengers who could be brought to the United States by any one vessel. President Hayes vetoed this bill, which led to a new treaty being made, giving us the privilege of suspending but not absolutely prohibiting the coming of Chinamen to our country. In accordance with

the provisions of this new treaty an act was passed in 1882, and amended in 1884, which suspended the immigration of Chinese to this country for ten years, but provided that those already here, who wished to revisit their own country and return again, might do so upon certificates of residence to be obtained from certain officials before their departure and presented upon their return. President Arthur vetoed this bill, and it failed to pass over his veto. Subsequently, however, a modified bill passed both Houses and was approved by the President. This, however, resulted in a circumventing of the law, and a new law was passed in 1888 which forbade the issuance of such certificates, and declared void those outstanding. In 1892, as the Exclusion act of 1882 was about to expire, Congress passed an act known as the Geary law, extending all prior exclusion laws for a further period of ten years, and providing for other regulations regarding such Chinamen as could be admitted. In 1902 a so-called Chinese Exclusion bill passed both Houses, and after being modified somewhat by a conference committee was accepted and approved by the President April 29th.

In March, 1888, a resolution was passed by the Senate asking the President to negotiate a treaty with China providing that no Chinese laborer should enter the United States. The treaty was negotiated and transmitted to the Senate, where it was somewhat amended and was then approved. It was rumored, however, in September of the same year, that the Chinese authorities had refused to ratify the treaty, and a bill

was presented in the House of Representatives supplementing the Act of 1882. The measure was passed without division and sent to the Senate, where it was passed by a vote of thirtyseven to three. It was not, however, sent to the President till the news came that the Chinese Government had refused to ratify the treaty. The President signed the measure October Ist.

The legislation of the Republican party regarding Chinese exclusion seems to have been wise and consistent. While our immigration laws have upon the whole been most liberal, yet it seemed best to shut our doors as far as possible against a race undesirable as workmen and unacceptable as citizens. There has been no desire, however, to break any treaty stipulations, but to conform to the letter to any agreement made with China as with any other nation. The question has been a difficult and a delicate one, and while it cannot be said to have been wholly a party act, as both parties have been in harmony upon general exclusion, yet it was the Republican party which passed the first exclusion act, as well as the last, and which should have the credit of the wisdom of such legislation.

Over twenty million emigrants have come to our country, a large portion of whom are now citizens of the United States, enjoying the advantages of constant employment, good wages, and a far higher standard of living than is known abroad. These emigrants have helped to build up our country, have helped in the development of our resources, in production and in consumption. We find the men in every walk of life, from the United States Senate down to the most humble rank. While it is true that among these many millions of foreigners can be found some objectionable characters, and some hundreds or even thousands of whom we would rather had not been admitted, yet our immigration laws, though most liberal, have been for the most part just. If they need amendment, they will receive it in due time after due consideration by a Republican Congress, which will be fair to all concerned.

In former pages the institution and development of our pension laws have been gone into more or less at length. It