Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-10-31
A DANGEROUS AGITATION.

The prompt action taken by our gov.
eminent TO acausint the authorities a,
Toxic with the purely local character
OF the anti-Japanese agitation In San
Francisco, is evidence Of the estima-
ton In which the japanese nation Is
held today. II has always been the aim
Of the United States to treat all nations.
whether large or small, according to
the golden rule In this case the stu
alton was Immediately recognised as
grave" and the government took
prompt action accordingly
II seems that couple OF years ago
some editor commenced an anti-Japa-
nese agitation for the selfish purpose Of
becoming popular and obtaining seat
IN the United States senate. In the
same way Southern agitators have fire.
qaently uHed the negro question for III,
furtheranee OF their personal ambitions,
and INSCRIPTIONS agitators In this re-
glon have tried to rise TO fnme and
power ON The wings OF anti. Mormon
ISM" The japanese Representatives her,
and their government officials may b,
aware Of this American popularity. but
the people generally cannot he expected
to understand Il. and hence the gravity
Of the situation.
The reports circulated In Toxic werv
that Japanese iahorers were excluded
Dom work In San Francisco. because
OF their race peoullarltles, and that
Japanese children were driven from the
schools, This is virtually denied by our
government. IN It's dispatches 10 Am
bassador Wright In these II In stated
that the tabor troubles are no other
than ordinary local disturbances OF
which no Official notice should be taken,
and that the trouble about the schools
has arisen from thu fact that the build.
inss formerly used by the schools had
been destroyed by the late earthquake
and fire. The assurance was added that
'the general government of the United
states VIII not for moment entertain
the idea OF any treatment toward the
Japanese people other than that Accord
ed to the people OF the most friendly
European nation. and that there is no
reason to suppose that the people OF the
United states desire our government to
take any different course"
The dispatch closes by saying that the
President has directed the department
~ tuaftca 20 tpvaatiuut. Tho ,ua,tar ma
take such steps as the facts call for.
This IL satisfactory as fur as Il goes,
but the trouble IL that the Federal gov.
ernment has not tho power to enforce
it's policy OF Cancellation against agita-
tors who control state governments.
This Is an anomaly. The government
has the authority to enter treaties and
make promises, but IL state refuses
10 honor obligations thus entered into.
Il Ii helpless. In cases where the faith
Of tho country is pledged. this certain
ly is unfortunate. Some of our citizens
have so long carried themselves with
arrogance and brutality toward the
Chinese and the negroes. that they have
quite naturally reached the conclusion
that they can with IMMUNITY trample
upon all who are considered objection.
able. II should DO no surprise to find
that the keen witted and Industrious
Japanese will not submit to indignity
and insult with humility.
The Japanese are rapidly coming to
the front. A Japanese statesman makes
these observations and forecasts:
AS TO the future condition Of the
worlds powers we may rank the nations
thus: Britain. America, Germany
Russia, France and Japan must take her
place IN the group. II cannot be dis
puted that Japan now ranks rs one Of
the six leading powers of the world. To
state the matter exactly may say that
Britain and Germany, Russia and
France are the four great powers po-
litlcally IN the old world, and Amer
lea and Japan are the two great pow
ers In tho new world Of the future. As
a matter OF fact, Japan has a popula-
ton Of q per cent of all the total pop =
ulation In the Aslatic continent, which,
with the assimilated power OF European
civilization might by her example, sue
coed In awakening other Oriental races
TO tho light OF Western civilization, so
that for the future In the Far East the
other nations OF the West cannot afford
TO discount US"
This may. or may not, be the destiny
OF the Japanese, but they are entitled
TO all the rights and privileges assured
them In the treaties made by this coun-
try, and every citizen should make IL
a point to uphold the honor Of his coun-
try in HIS associations with the stran-
ger within our gates.n