Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-12-19

I Mere distributed among 3 schooIs u
the primary grades. There are eighl
grades In the public schools Of Sar
Frnncisco. the first grade being the
lowest and the eighth the highest.
graduates Of the eighth grade gOing
into the high school OF this total 81
" pupils. 6~ were born In Japan and
% In the United States, Those born
in the United States would, Of course,
under section OF article XIV Of the
Constitution of the United States be
citizens Of the United States aud Of
the state wherein they reside. and ~
such subject 10 the laws Of the nation
as well as Ut the state
The Oriental sch0nl the school set
apart Tor the Chinese, Japanese. and
Korean children. IL In the burned dis.
'rict There is onIy one Japanese stu
dent attending this school az the
present time. aud Their. ar. no Japan-
eSe children attending any of the 9TH
er public srhnols. visited the Orr
entail school In company with the
Japanese consul and found II 10 com.
pare favorabls with many of the new
temporary structures erected In that
city, The course OF instruction Is ex.
actIy the same as at the other public
schnols. and competent teachers are
assigned for duty in this school.
Nearly all Of the people attending
this school have 10 b. taught the Eng.
lish language
An examination ot the map attach.
ed hereto will ut once clearly show
that II will be absolutely impossible
for children residing In the remote
sections of the city to attend the Orr.
entail school The conditions In San
Francisco are such, owing 10 the
great conflagrati0n. that II would not
Id possible even for grown children
living at remote distances 10 attend
this school II the action of the
board stands. then. and II no schools
are provided in addition Ia the one
II seems that a number Of
Japanese children will be prevented
from attending the public schools and
will have to resort to private instruc-
ion
found the sentiment In the state
very strong against japanese young
nen attending the primary grades.
Many Of the people were Outspoken
n their condemnation of this course.
'aying that they would take exactly
he same stand against American
'oung men of similar ages attending
he primary grades. am frank to
'ay that this objection seems 10 me
/ most reasonable one. All of the
political parties in the state have In
serted in their platforms planks l., !
avor of Japanese and Korean exclus. !
on. and on March :. 1905. the state
legislature passed joint resolution
lrging that action be taken by treaty |
IT otherwise TO limit and diminish !
he further immigration of Japanese |
abOrers into the United States
The press of San Francisco pretty |
upholds the action Of the
,oard of education. or the attitude |
Il the more violent and radical news, |
'apers 1t Is unnecessary to speak fur
her than to say that their tone Ia the |
Usual tone Of hostility to "Mongoi
iordes," and the burden of their |
lain Is that Japanese are no better
han Chinese, and that the same rea
ons which dictated the exclusion of
he Chinese call for the exclusion oi
he Japanese as well.
The temper and tone Of the more
newspapers may better
re illustrate by an epitome Of their
rgument upon the public school ques.
ion. The argument practically Ia as !,
ullows: The public schools of Cali
ornia are a state and not a federal
institution. The state has the power
o abolish those schools entirely and
he federal government woald have
70 right to lift its voice In protest.
1pon the other hand the state may
xtend the privileges of its schools
o aliens upon such terms as 1t. the
tate. may elect. and the federal gov
rnment has no right to question its
ction In this regard. Primarily and
essentially the public schools are de-
igned for the education of the citi-
ems of the state The state Is inter.
sted In the education Of Its own citi.
ems alone. It would not for a mo-
nent maintain this expensive institu.
ion to educate foreigners and aliens
Who would carry 10 their country the
ruits of such education. Therefore,
I II should be held that there was
operating i'm violation