Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-03-15
Washiuaton Standard
OLYMPIA, WASH.
FRIDAY MORNING, HARCH Is, 1907.
A Dangerous Trend.

trralization of powers of the govern
mrnt. Notwithstanding the diSfavor
with which Secretary Roots intima-
ton of that policy in justification of
the President threat to use both
army and navy. if necessary, for CO.
ercing California into submission to
his will for establishing Japanese
equality i'll the common schools OF
this country. and even naturaliZing
the Japs and admitting them to full
American citizenship.
Now, after that matter has been
skillfully compromised. so as to admit
the Nippons to an equality in the
San Francisco schools and placing
the compensating stipulation that
the admission of the little brown
man to this country be left solely
with the Mikado to issue passes to
whom he will, with only a tentative
right of the President to wise these
certificates if he sees proper, the
next step is taken in the subversion
of popular government.
That the assumption of intent to
modify the form of our government
with respect to the rights of citizen
ship as exercised through State gov
eminent, which is one step nearer
the people, is a clear-cut, palpable
issue, has been shown by another
mouthpiece of the President, Senator
Beveridge, in banquet-speech be-
fore the Indiana Association, held in
New York, last week. Another blow
is thus given to the wedge entered
by Root, and which, with executive
acts, had led to the arraignment of
the President by the Gridiron Club,
in Washington, Jan. 18th, at which
Senator Foraker declared that " the
liberties and rights of free American
citizens were at stake from glaring
and persistent usurpations of the
President"
Here is an extract from Senator
Beveridge's speech:
THE State could not make inter-
national improvements, so the nation
made them; the States could not prevent
the scattering of obscene literature so
the Nation did it; the State could not
Lott H. -
the State could not end the poisoning of
people by adulterated food, 80 the nation
il doing it; the State could not compel
spectiOn of meats, 80 the Nation is com.
polling it; the States could not preserve
the cOuntry's forests, 80 the Nation is
preserving them; the States could not ir-
rigate the arid west, 80 the Nation il
working that glorious and beautiful mir
acle; the State can not end the murder
Gus infamy of child labor, 20 the Nation
is doing it; and this is for the saving of
the Nation"
To meet the issue squarely, we ask,
why could not many. if not all these
interests, be subserved by State con-
troll as well as by the general govern
ment? And where there is no pros
pect of conflict in jurisdiction, why
could not the laws be so framed as to
divide the labor and responsibility in
harmonious action of the people striv-
ing for a common welfare? But
granting the implied claim that all
these acts can be better done by the
general government than by the
States, to secure uniformity, there
would probably be no disposition on
the part of any of the States to at
tempt the exercise of such q power.
Full authority over just acts, on
which there is no chance for cavil,
would doubtlessly be gladly conceded
the general government.
But when it comes to the birth
right of American citizenship, the
pride in sovereignty of free govern
ment that can only be exercised at
the ballot-box; when it comes to the
ennoblement of labor and enabling
the wage-earner to feed and clothe
and educate his family, without being
brought in competition with half-civ-
ilized, idolatrous barbarians, who
can subsist day upon a bowl of rice
and who pass their nights like sar-
dimes in a box, the matter is very
different. Then an incentive for self
preservation comes in play, and it
lies very close to the thews and sim
ews of the individual arm. This
phase of the matter has not been dis
cussed or thought of, doubtless from
the fact that it was never presumed
we would stumble upon Chief Mag
istrate who would deliberately sug-
gest the abolition, or even lowering,
the dignity of, American labor, the
perpetuity of the American home, or
the thorough education of the rising
generation, all of which would be i'm
possible with the influx of this dan
gerOus element.
1t is sad to reflect that the accu.
mutation of wealth has brought with
it class distinctions that are becom.
ing as marked as between the nobil.
ity and common people of kingly gov.
ernments. Patriotism seems to be
on a decline, simply from an apathet.
ic condition of the people, and failure
to appreciate the change going on
1t must be checked before it is tor
late, or what is now the unexpected
may indeed happen.
IT is now claimed that the Japa
nese will refuse to accede to tn,
Presidents arrangements for exclu
sion of undesirable immigrants from
that country, as a concession for ad
mission of Jap children to the publ,