The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-02-25
PROVISION FOR
WASHINGTON STRICKEN OUT.
IN The Immigration BILL
Was "Joker" Which Repealed Law
and Substituted Section fo~ Ap.
pointment OF ommisration
Comm ssioner,
Ardmorelte SDeciai.

simple twist of the legislative wrist
congress has accomplished the re-
peal of the liquor law which provides
that no liquor shall be sold with.
in the limits of the capitol building
of the United States"
The repeal of the law, which was
enacted March 3rd, 1903, curiously
enough was achieved through the i'm.
migration bill enacted the other day.
1t was supposed that the immigra.
tion measure, which had been pend.
ing for more than a year, was as
dead as Julius Caesar, but those who
thought so did not take into account
the Japanese embrogio in San Fran
cisco or the resourcefulness of Pres
ident Roosevelt.
When It became necessary to leg
islate for the exclusion from AmerI-
ca of Japanese coolies, the president
and Secretary Root, after consider
ing how best the legislation could be
obtained, turned to the pending i'm.
migration bill, which had been plac
ed in cold storage by Speaker Can
non. That measure appealed to them
as the most advantageouY medium
for the carrying of the law provis
ions respecting the japanese, (nd
they Immediately took up the sub
ject with the leaders in congress OF
breathing the breath of life into the
bill and incorporating in 1t the nee
essary provisions for the exclusion
of the Japanese.
Naturally, they met with consider
able opposition but the question was
acute; there was danger of offending
Japan by long discussion of the
difficulty presented by the people OF
San Francisco, and 1t was felt by all
that the whole subject of American
relations with Japan was charged
with dynamite. After some strenl-
Gus conferences between the presi-
dent and the congress1 leIders. ht
was decided to take up the immigra'
ton bill, incorporate in II the amend
ments respecting the Japanese In ac-
cordance with the Presidents desire
and then pass the measure.
This plan was carried into effect.
lin doing so, however, sonlebody-the
records do not reveal his Identity
slipped through the 'toker" Which
repeals the law against the sale of
Intoxicating liquors in the capitol
building.
1t will be recalled that the pro
vision forbidding the sale of liquor
in the capitol was tackled on the
immigration act of March 3rd 1908,
as a rider. Congress had been be-
seiged by temperance organizations
of the country to enact such law
and, finally, this rider was attached
to the immigration measure as sec
ton 34
THAT no intoxicating liquors of
any character shall be sold within
the limits of the capitol building OF
the United States"
In revamping the immigration bill
a few days ago, section "a, here
quoted, was stricken out and a new
section "a was substituted for IL, pro
viding for the appointment or com
mission or immigration for the City
of New Orleans. The striking out OF
the liquor provision constituted a re
peal of It. The conference report or
the measure, containing the repeal
was adopted by both the senate and
the house and, in the circumstances
will be signed by the president, ard
thus become a law.
AS soon as the signature of the
president is attached to the bill, the
law preventing the sale of liuuor ir
the capitol building will cease to be
apparently, everybody was sc
interested in the japanese provisions
of the bill that the Joker" regarding
the sale of liquor was overlooked
That evidently is precisely what the
lpromoter or promoters OF the joke
anticipated. The roar over the repea
of the law is yet to be heard.