The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-02-14
FOR STATE RIGHTS
Senator Frazier, of Tennes-
see, Takes Up CudgeIs.
MAKES TELLING SPEECH
Pleads for State of California in Po-
sition Taken in School Row at
'Fr:sco-Laws Of State Su-
preme in Matter.

Federal encroachment on state
rights, with the japanese school ques-
| ton as the principal illustration, was
the subject of an address to the SEN
ate Friday by Senator Frazier of Ten
| nessee Mr.. Frazier said that this
| was not a question that concerned
California, but concerned the right
of every state to control its domestic
affairs
If the federal government by treaty
could rob state of the right TO con-
troll it's own school system, the last
stronghold Of local self-government
was destroyed. II treaty could force
Mongolians into the white schools Of
California, a like treaty could force
the negroes of Cuba. Santo Domingo,
Hayti and the Congo into the schools
of Tennessee in defiance of the laws
for the separation of the races.
He expressed the highest admiration
for the japanese. but said that the ac-
tion of California furnished no preteXt
for a quarrel with that country. The
| school board of San Francisco had
simply executed state law providing
for the education of white and Japan
ese children in separate schools. It
had been decided over and over again
that states had a perfect right to
make such separation. That the state
! of California was but exercising its
legal and constitutional power.
He denied with emphasis that this
government had ever undertaken by
treaty TO interfere with the consti-
tutional rights of California.
Il challenge any one to find in the
treaty word guaranteeing to Japan
csc residents the right to enter pubic
schools of the states at all, much
less to enter them in defiance or
state laws and regulations.
1.-The United States government can
not compel q state to create public
| schools at all The schools were crea-
lures of state laws, maintained by
state taxation and subject only to
state control. The right Of residence
guaranteed to the Japanese implied
the right to work and make a
| living, but not TO go to school. But
even if the right of residence did car
ry with it the right to enter public
Schools" he added, 1t did not carry
/ any exception from the right of sep
| aration in the schools. The treaty
with Japan provided that the Japan
csc 'niust conform themselves to the
| laws police regulations of the coun-
try like native citizens Can it be
| contended that Japanese aliens have
acquired higher privileges than they
would have as citizens Of the United
StateS?'
He contended that the president
ought to have followed the example OF
Mr.. Blaine in the case Of the lynch.
ing of Italian citizens in New Or
leans. There was treaty with Italy,
which guaranteed protection to Ital-
ian citizens, but when the Italian gov
ernment complained MIR. Blaine in
formed it that Italian citizens had
no higher rights than American citi-
zens and that the right to punish
for murder was the exclusive prov
ince of the states where the crime
WAS committed.
MIR. Frazier said he did not believe
We had reached the point where we
must apologize for Our constitution or
change it's character by construction
at the dictation Of foreign power.
Our trouble with Japan, he said, had
it's origin in our colonial policy which
| had inspired a fear in the nations
of the east that We were attempting
to dominate the politics and COM
merce Of the Orient.
Mr.. Frazier dwelt at length Oh the
recent speech of Secretary Root,
which he declared to be threat to
wipe ont state lines and absorb al!
power of the state into the govern
menI.
When" he said, "the states are
deprived of the right to judge wheth-
er and how far they shall exercise
their powers We cease to be q free
people. The secretary intimated that
this usurpation of power was neces-
sary to control the trusts. Before
seeking to rob the states Of their
power, let the federal government use
its own. Let it reduce the monstrous
tariff which had built up and was
protecting the trusts"
1t was not necessary, said Mr.. Fra
| ,;o fn tho onI ,,nuorS