Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-16
SENATOR TILLMAN
FEELS AGGRIEVEO
SAYS C0NFEREES EXCEEDED
AUTHORITY
Charges That Secretary Root Drew Up
Compromise and Leaves the
Question Open for
Denial
,Cnntlnucd from Pnrc onel

tCOntinucd from Pare OncI
Japanese laborers off the Pacific coast
and from getting into this country, and
the conference, i'm furtheranoe of a
policy which looks to sectional ad-
vantage, has incorporated a provision
which changes the law i'm regard to the
contract labor which will keep out the
little dribble of immigrants who have
started southwardt
And these two provisions linked to-
gether are to be driven through con-
gress.
South's Interests Ignored
"The south's interests are as usual
ignored; the Pacific coast, of course, is
taken care Of"
MIR. Tillman Contended that this pro-
cedure must be in pursuance of a set
tied policy and made strenuous objec-
ton to it.
Mr.. Flint of California declared there
was no necessity of bringing the Cali
fornia relief measure into the discus
sion.
Mr.. Tillman insisted that it was i'm
possible under the rules to do other
than consider the two questions to-
gether as the conference committee re-
fused to withdraw the report and
amend it.
Il will vote for an exclusion act to-
morrow which will keep the Japanese
out" he added. II do not see why there
should be prejudice against them, yet
l am willing to keep them out if 1t
brings war"
Senator Lodge arose at this. "If,"
he said, in a low tone, I'VE are going
to discuss that question l think we
ought to do so behind closed doors"
TIIman Agreeable
Il am perfectly willing to go behind
closed DOORS" Mr.. Tillman responded.
Perhaps I can get heart to heart
talk with some people who will not
stay here and listen, but who have got
orders from the White House that this
report has got to go through"
Mr. Rayner asked If a discussion
legal phases would not be permitted in
open session.
There was not the slightest objec-
ton to this consideration" Mr. Lodge
answered. but" he continued, there
are certain phases which all senators
will see are not to be discussed in
public"
IF we have got to pigeontoe around
here" asserted Mr. Tillman, "and can
not discuss our own national issues,
we have got to a desperate pass"
sion on any other phases of the bill,
the senator we'll knows" said Mr..
Lodge.
Both Phases Involved
But the two are involved" insisted
Mr.. Tillman. IF the man at the White
House had not taken it upon himself
to meddle with everything in the United
States we would not have this issue
here
Stating his opinion against contract
labor to be as strong as any ones Mr.
Tillman said he would give the proper
encouragement to desirable immigrants
to the south, and he believed the gov
ernment would do we'll to spend $780,
600, 900 for that purpose.
The south was to be Disseminated
against. he maintained, because the
senator from Massachusetts had a
large number of highly respect
able constituents who We're OPP
posed to the southern states getting
immigrants unless they got them from
the slums of the northern cities. The
south did not want this sort of scum
and riffraff,"
Mr. Lodge was questioned closely to
ascertain just what he construed to be
the effect of the bill.
Did it mean that a state agent can
go abroad and secure immigration"
asked Mr.. Tillman.
State Funds Only
TT means he cannot use other than
state funds for the purpose" answered
Mr.. Lodge.
Suppose the state should pay the
passage of an immigrant and then
some one should come along and reim.
burse?" asked Mr.. Tillman, who added:
There are more ways than one to beat
the devil around the stump, and the
Massachusetts senator knows just as
well as anybody how to do it,"
THAT might be one way" answered
Mr.. Lodge, who added that he did not
think it ought to be done.
Mr.. Tillman, discussing the Japanese
question, maintained that in placing
the proposition in the report the con-
ferees had exceeded their authority.
He had been informed that the con-
fereeS themselves had not drawn the
japanese provision but that it was the
work of Secretary Root. OF course, he
added, the conferees could deny it If it
was not correct. This, however went
to show that it was a matter entirely
outside the scope of the conference COM
mittee.
Mr.. Tillman said he realized the only
way the conference report could be
defeated, under the discipline that pre-
NalIeu, would be TO defeat 1t by arSu-
ment. He was not prepared to adopt
such extreme measures even if the
south was Disseminated against.
Offers Resolution
Senator Culberson interrupted Mr..
Tillman to present the following reso-
luton:
Resolved, That the conferees on the
part of the senate (on the immigration
biuD are instructed to present to th9
cOnferees an amendment providing for
the exclusion Of Japanese laborers and
coolies from the United States and
their territories and insular possess
sions and the District of Columbia, to
be effective January l. 1908"
MIR. Lodge made the point that to
describe was in order ON the reso-
luton. Mr., Culberson said he did not
wish to take Senator Tillman from the
floor but demanded consideration.
Mr. Tillman had read the debate
relating to new matter" ON the con-