Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-12-20
CALIFORNIA MEMBERS
SPEAK OF JAPANESE
Attitude of the States Delegation in Congress with
Respect to the Rights of the San
Francisco School Board
Correspondence New York Evening Post.

WASHINGTON, zee. H.-California's
eight representatives and two senators
have been brought into an unexpected
and artificial prominence this week
through the presidents sharp comments
on the action Of the coast authorities in
debarring Japanese children from the
san Francisco public schools in which
white children are taught. None of the
delegation from the slope Is man Of
national Importance. 1t is a new ex-
perience to all of them to have their
Views eagerly sought and printed all
over the country. 1t Is more than
probable that several Of them would
have done their tour Of service In
Washington and been retired to private
life without having. been heard of or
known generally outside of their own
state. A week ago today not one man
In twenty-five in Washington, even
among those most familiar with the
national legislators, could have named
all of the members of the California
delegation.
Senator Perkins the Chief
Senator Perkins is the man of greatest
weight and influence in the entire dele
cation. He has been a member of the
senate since August, 1893, when he took
the seat made vacant by the death of
Senator Leland Stanford. He was re-
elected on the first ballot taken in the
legislature in January, 1851 for the full
term of six years, and was unanimously
reelected in 1903 for another term. He
is chairman of the committee on civil
service and retrenchment in the senate,
and a member of these important COM
mlttees: Appropriations, agriculture,
commerce, fisheries, naval fairs and
forest reservations and the protection
of game. He is a state of Maine man,
and went to California in 1855 as fore
mast hand on the sailing ship Galatea.
From his thirteenth year lie had fol-
lowed the sea as a common sailor. In
the senate he does not play a con-
spicuous part on the floor, but is known
as one of the working group" who are
sedulous in attending committee meet
ings and doing their full share of the
routine drudgery of legislation. He is
counted a steady, sensible, dependable
man by his associates, and one who
works out for himself problems he is
celled upon to take a part in solving.
Senator Perkins interviews, given out
since the presidents message was made
public, bear out his reputation for con-
servatism, and are not so vivid in their
arrangement of Mr.. Roosevelt as some
of the members of the house have eX-
pressed. The day the presidents mes
sage was read in the two houses of con-
gress the senator said:
Il agree in the abstract with the SEN
timents expressed by the president, just
as any patriotic citizen would, but l
do not agree with him in it's applica-
ton to the California school trouble.
We have violated no treaty. The action
in the school controversy was no more
violation of the treaty than the order
nf
the vaccination of all pupils in the pub
lie schools Parents who refused to
abide by this ruling were compelled to
take their children from the school,
That the people of California do not
discriminate against the people of
Japan in educational matters is shown
by the residence at the University of
California of several Japanese students.
This is true, wherever it is not sought
to force young men in the school with
little children. L can only account for
the presidents position on the theory
that he has been misinformed.
Senator Perkins is strongly opposed
to the presidents recommends tons for
law naturalizing the Japanese. He
holds that to acquire citizenship should
be made more difficult instead of re-
moving any of the present barriers.
When Senator Perkins heard from the
presidents own lips the Interior motives
that lay behind the strong ground taken
in behalf of the Japanese in the mes
sage, and of Mr.. Roosevelts hopes to
secure from Japan voluntary exclusion
of her coolies and laborers, he said this:
THE president means to do what is
right, and believe this thing will come
out all right. He will learn that the
Pacific coast is unanimous in it's senti-
ment, and he will not resist that senti-
ment. More fuss has been made about
it here in the east than out west. The
truth is that there are not forty Jap
anese children of school age in San