Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1906-12-07
JAPANESE QUESTION TO THE FORE

JAPANESE QUESTION TO THE FORE
1t is safe to say that the position
taken by President Roosevelt on the
Japanese question In his message, will
stir the people of the Pacific slope
states as they have not been stirred
since the civil war. The same argu
ments we're urged in behalf of the adj
mission of Chinese tc all the privileges
accorded other races ONE twenty five
years ago that are now brought forth
in. behalf of the Japanese. 1t required
many years to educate the eastern
and middle western states to the ex :
clusion of MongolIans. The same
fight is now on with regard to the
Japanese. Let it be admitted that
the Japanese are the most enlightened
and progressive of Oriental nations.
They are valiant in war, and equally
successful in the arts of peace. They
have fairly earned the right to be
classed with the most cultured and
progressive of nations. All this is
not seriously disputed. But that does
not reach the core of the question.
There is a deep-rooted prejudice in
the minds of American citizens TO
any Influx of Asiatlcs to these shores,
This feeling is not a mere sentimental
une to the dwellers of the Pacific
coast. 1t is based on experience.
We have been brought in contact
with the Mongollans, and we do not
want them as fellow citizens. or com
panIons in any way. Other sections
of the Union having no experience
in this direction, have not this pre-
judice, and would force an undesiI
able population upon US. If they
understood the matter as we under
stand it, they would feel exactly as
we do, and want to shut them out
precisely as we do. If the conditions
we're reversed, and Japan we're
threatened with an invasion of
Causasians to such an extent as to
disturb the labor market and the
educational system of that nation,
would there not be some steps taken
IN that country to ward off the
danger. OF course there is no danger
from this sourse: The higher paid
laborers are not going to Immigrate
in do -
country were far-lower wage
schedule exists.
That the little brown men and their
children are accorded free education
in separate schools should be sutti-
cient. This ought not to wound the
sensibilities of the Japanese. The
same discrimination is Iesorted to
toward the colored race in the south
ern states. They are not permitted
to ride in the same car with white
folks in some states. Why, insist
that the people of California shall
associate with Japanese as with their
own race. The truth is they will not
do SO, no matter what the treaty
obligations demand, or the interpre-
tation placed therein by the president
or by congress. Japanese ways are
not our ways. They are of different
mental, moral and physical makeup.
We cannot assimilate with them, and
would not If we could. Neither can
they assimiIate with American ways.
The trade we have with Japan is not
worthy of mention as an offset to the
of Japanese as citizens, or
on terms of social equality. Far
better that we sell not dollars worth
of goods to these island people than
throw the gates wide open for their
entrance. On this issue the opponents
of Japanese citizenship or admission
to this country are standing for the
true interests OF the United States.
We have too much mixture of races
here already. We have tried to
absorb the hordes not only from
Europe, but from Africa AMI Asia,
and the experiment has proved a fiat
failure. We realize this, if President
Roosevelt does not. Strict exclusion
of the Japanese, as we'll as. other
Asiatics is the only path of national
protection and safety.