The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-02-13
JAP QUESTION
IS DISCUSSED
Continues from First Page.)


goods. In the mills now being opera
from ten to fifteen cents day, with
long, hours of labor, and no Sunday
rest. After ie has learned to handle
the machine properly, the Japanese
operator feels that he can better his
condition by coming to Boston, where
he can purchase the commodities he
consumes about as cheaply as he can
in his own country, and where he can
well afford to work for forty or fifty
cents a day-which is three or four
hundred per cent more than he can
earn on his native heath in the same
line of endeayor.
Few at First.
/ "A few of these laborers come over
at first and excite little attention.
These find that the field is a produe
tive one, and shortly each incoming
steamer brings them in large num-
bers. Gradually they begin TO dis.
place your white laborers in the cot
ton mills. Soon after they attack
your wooden mills, and almost at the
same time they go into your fishing
industry and drive the fishermen of
Gloucester to the wall. Your white
laborers find that they cannot, and
what is more, they will not, come
down to the standard of living of the
Japanese. They soon realize that it
is struggle for existence between
caucasian civilization and the civiliza-
ton of Asia. Which would your peo
pie espouse? Which ought your peo
pie to espouse? Do you think the citi
zens of your commonwealth would al
low the white man to be driven out
of the factories and workshops, or
do you think they would assume the
attitude taken by the people of Cali
fornia on this question?
The School Question.
An effort has been made to create
the impression throughout the country
that San Francisco had denied all Jap
anese children admission into her pub
lie schools. No such step has ever
been contemplated. The action of the
school board simply contemplated the
consolidation of all Japanese school
children under one roof, and 1t has
been generally admitted that the
schools provided for these Japanese
and other oriental children we're
equally as good as were the schools
attended by white children. The
corps of instructors were experienced
in their work, and compared most ia,
vorably with the teachers in the other
schools of the city. IL is not my pur-
pose to discuss this school question
this evening MY individual opinion
is, and always has been, that every
state in the Union has the absolute
right to regulate her own schools in
any manner she sees fit. and that no
outsider. not even the president of the
United States, has the right to iner-
fere. But. the courts will probably
pass upon that subject, and anything
that may say upon it would be pure
ly academic. Unfortunately, however,
the discussion of the school question
has constantly carried more or less
war talk in it's train. Personally, |
have never taken any stock in such
NNAh' hdfN ol" iClI sllSib lllS @OOu
common sense of the two nations
would assert itself. and that a solu
ton would be found which would be
cTeditable alike to the people of our
own government and the government
of Japan.
Argument of Trade.
1t has been generally believed on
the Pacific coast that the manufac,
turers of this country are the most
pronounced opponents to the enact
men of exclusive laws. If that be true
let me say TO those manufacturers
that the fear of the sale of few bolts
OF cotton cloth is not sufficient ar
gument with which to answer the cry
of the Caucasian population of the
Pacific coast against being over
whelmed by the yellow and brown
hOrdes from the shores of Asia.
Japan is just as ambitious com.
mercially as we are. She will exert
every effort TO build up her markets
at our expense. She has given evi
dence that she will even substitute her
manufacturers if il shall become
necessary for them to control their
markets. And / have always felt that
If ever a clash of arms shall occur.
between the two nations, it will arise
as result of our own commercial
expansion interfering with the COM
mercial expansion of our powerful
nefghbOr on the other side of the Pa
cifiic.
Desire to Dominate.
In that connection it is well to
bear in mind that both the japanese
nation and the American nation are
alike proud. sensitive, ambitious, pa
triotic, aggressive. Just as We desire
to be the dominant power on the
American continent, so Japan aspires
to be- the dominant power in Asia
She is already stirring China out of
her lethargy of ages, and when that
great, inert mass of humanity shall
have been aroused into action, the
whole world will have 10 sit and take
notice. There is strong anti-foreign
sentiment in both Japan and China
True, the argument is often made that
the United States is the traditional
friend of both Of these oriental coun-
tries But in my study of world
politics / have learned to believe that
af the nhNohnlnSiNol mnunour this