Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1906-12-20

ant district attorney, and my work had
to do almost entirely with the ENFORCE
ment Of the exclusion law. ] constant
~ came in contact with the Chinese
and Japanese and I can say In answer
to those who speak in favor of the
proposition to confer citizenship on the
Japanese that In doing this they would
admit to suffrage a people 100 per cent
lower in the scale than any who nave
ever enjoyed IL heretofore.
The situation In San Francisco IS
but the logical result of present condi-
tions. The constant and increasing i'm
migration of Japanese into California
Is rapidly bringing about a situation
Identical with that which resulted in
the passage in 1884 of the first Chinese
exclusion law. / may go even further
and say that conditions are rapidly be-
coming worse than they ever were at
that time, due largely to the fact that
the japanese are more aggressive than
the Chinese, harder to handle, harder
to get along with, worse neighbors,
tricky. crafty, and in every way unde-
sirable.
IL want to say that the Japanese
are totally and absolutely untitled to
enjoy the privileges of suffrage. They
have not, and can never have, under
their present environments and relig-
ion, the faintest conception concerning
the obligation of an American citizen.
Their CUSTOM their life, their whole
national characteristics forbid It,"
Knowand's Views
Representative Knowland, who sue
ceeded Mr. Metcalf when the latter be-
came secretary of commerce and labor,
represents what might be called the
silk stocking" district of his state.
Most of his constituents are of some
Il. 4 InNN -
Knowland does not have to cater to any
labor or socialist vote. His plurality
in the election for the Fifty-ninth con-
gress was 1884. He is associated with
his father in the wholesale lumber BUSH
ness and is director In two banks.
He was in the California Legislature
before coming to Washington Here
are his comments on the presidents
Japanese utterances:
1.-THE president of the United States
is entitled to his own opinion in the
matter, and a member of congress Is
entitled to his. The presidents re-
marks on the subject do not seem to be
any too clear, and 1t is hard to get an
idea of Just how far he means to make
his language go, but the threat seems
to be there just the same. The yelled
threat of coercion was unnecessary and
uncalled for. If the message had been
l am afraid, would have been defeated
for reelection"
julius Kahn has it to his credit that
he retired e. ]. Livernash, Democrat
and union labor candidate, to private
life. He was born at Kuppenheim,
grand duchy of Baden, Germany, had
a public school education in San Fran
cisco, and for ten years thereafter was
an actor, associated with such well
known players as Edwin Booth, Joseph
Jefferson, Tommaso Salvini, w. j.
Florence and Clara Morris. He was in
the Fifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh con-
crosses, lost his election for the Fifty
eighth and was reelected to the Fifty
ninth and Sixtieth congresses. Mr..
Kahn does not think that in segregat-
ing the Japanese children any treaty
rights are being violated. He says: Il
do not know whether the president
means that he can compel the board Of
education to take Japanese children in
our schools with white children. Per-
sonally l think there is grave doubt
that it can be done under existing law.
Mr.. Roosevelt's remarks upon this sub
ject are not as clear as 1 would like
them to be. The people of California
are law-abiding, but at the same time
they intend to stoutly maintain their
rights"