The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-12-14

HHE japanese merit much OF tne
praise bestowed upon them. out
President Roosevelt cannot force
the people of the Pacific. Coast
to accept his views in the matter
nor alter their attitude toward the
Japanese AS it now stands Japa-
nese born in the United States
are citizens by right of birth, as
is the case with American-born Chi
nese: but public sentiment here Is
firmly set against naturalizing the
Orientals and it is not likely that Con-
gress will look favorably upon admit
ting Japanese to the full rgnts OF
American citizenship. The Presidents
attitude on the Japanese question VIII
put his hitherto great popularity on
the Pacific Coast to a severe test
Salinas Index.
President Roosevelt's attitude on the
Japanese question cannot be but ofren-
sive to the people of California, and
especially to San Francisco. In his
message touching that question he uses
but little diplomacy and goes at IL
roughshod. He espouses the cause OF
the Japanese in vigorous language
much more vigorous than the case
warrants - The message will
be hailed with delight by the Japanese.
whom it was evidently intended to
please. and the talk of threatened war
will be at an end; but 1t will be a
long time before the people OF San
Francisco will forget the uncalled for
unkindness and severity of the Presi-
dent in his message on the subject.
The whole question is a muddle, and
1T would have been better had 1T never
arisen.-Madera Mercury
The Pacific Coast will take exception
to the Presidents remarks concerning
the proper treatment of the japanese.
and it is likely that almost or quite
every recommendation which the mes
sage contains will find some honest
and vigorous opponents. Nevertheless,
whether we like and approve every
thing the President says or whether
we disapprove of many things he says,
we will all agree that the message is
strong, frank. vigorous document,
such as strong, fearless and
cIear-headed man might be expected to
write.-Bakersfield Echo.
Probably 1t was because of misinfor-
nation that the President gave utter
ance to these misstatements. The
Japanese have not been shut out from
the public schools in San Francisco,
but they have been segregated from
the American children The complaint
of the Japanese is-not that they are
denied an education-but that they are
not received on terms of equality with
the American children. 1t seems a
matter of individual taste as to whether
the Japanese are treated as equals.
The President is wrong in claiming
that the Japanese are opposed by
American laborers because they are
efficient laborers. Their success as
Iaborers lies in the fact that they
work cheaper than the whites; that in
competing with them the American
laborer would have to abandon Ameri-
can ideals and that the Japanese who
are working in this country are en-
pIoyed under as indefensible a system
of peonage as the Chinese coolie is
Grass Valley Union.
We regret that the President has
chosen to be the champion of the
Japanese immigrant. His argument is
almost identical with the matchless
orations of the late Senator Hoar,
nearly a quarter of century ago, de-
| Hvered in the Senate and aimed al
Chinese exclusion. Almost every argu-
ment now urged by the President was