The Washington herald., 1907-01-08
KEEP JAPANESE OUT
Senator GeaPin Makes First
Speech for Exclusion.
TEMPERATE VIEW OF MATTER
Warning of the Peril of Cheap
COOIie Competition 10 Both Com
mOn and Skilled LabOr-PIea for
Sane Action 10 Avert Increasing
DimcuIty-China's Complaint.

DimcuIty-China's Complaint.
For the first time it was said in the
history Of the State. a native son Of ore
gon yesterday addressed the Senate SEN
atOr Gearin delivered his maiden speech.
and his theme was one dear TO the hearts
Of the people of not only Oregon, but the
entire Pacific Coast-he asked that the
treaty with Japan be modified by new
convention providing for the exclusion Of
Japanese coolies from the United States.
The resolution on which Mr.. Gearin
spoke was introduced by him December
70 and provides that in view of the con-
troversy that has arisen over the rights
of japanese in this country, and of the
fact that unrestricted immigration Of
japanese is not desirable, It should be
the sense Of the Senate that negotiations
should be undertaken by which the ex-
listing treaty should be modified so as to
clearly define and enumerate the rights
guaranteed Jaapnese, and also TO pro-
hibit the further coming Of japanese
coolies into the United States
Long before Mr.. Gearin began to speak
the Senate galleries were crowded in eX-
pectation Of the debate on the Browns
vile ARRAY, and long lines OF men and
women were standing in the corridors at
each door patiently waiting for seats 10
be vacated so they might finally get in.
Senator GeariB spoke with all the self
possession and force OF the trained orator
and he was listened TO by his fellow Sen
ators with unvarying attention from be-
ginning to end. He urged that while Con-
gress did not make treaties II might with
propriety suggest 70 the Executive the
need of one in the present case. Tho
desire 10 exclude coolie labor did not grow
out Of any unfriendly feeling toward
Japan. but on the contrary, was In line
with the friendly relations Of the two
countries.
Friendly Exclusion.
We are at peace now with Japan,
said Senator Gearin. but we shall not
continue so without a better understand
ing Of the rights guaranteed by the pres
ent treaty and the obligations imposed
by its terms"
Mr. Gearin urged that California was
under no obligations 10 the United States
10 maintain schools at all or for japanese
pupils If she does have them she has
the right 10 manage them In her own
way. This position he fortified by many
citations from the decisions OF the
Supreme Court The treaty does not give
any rights as to schools and the govern
ment might we'll stand on this interpreta-
ton. said Mr.. Gearin. The experiences
Of twenty-five years ago with Chinese
coolies was recited, and the same trouble
with the japanese cheap labor predicted.
Appeal 40 the south.
This nation" said Senator Gearin IN
closing. lis not without experience in
the matter Of trying 70 absorb into its
social and political life, a non-assimilat-
ing race. There are about ten millions
Of negroes now IN the Southern States
in many localities they far outnumber the
whites The two races have never mixed
and never will mix There is and always
will be a sharp line of cleavage between
them. and the irreconcilabIe conflict be-
tween these two peoples to-day in that
fair and sunny land of so much promise
is the hideous nightmare Of social and
political alignment. and the despair Of
the Iaw-ahiding people who have 70 grap-
pie with it,
1T was the folly-the insane, criminal
folly Of those who thought cheap labor,
however obtained, blessing-that
brought these colored people here, and
where is the man now bold enough 20 say
that IL has been a blessing? There is
trouble down there, where the magnolias
blossom. in that Sunny South of song and
story-and there Will be greater trouble
! fear. before a solution Of the problem
is had, And We OF the West sympathize
with the South in the crisis through
which she is passing, and We say TO our
brothers there. II is your trouble. and we
would help you if We could; but we can't
You understand the situation-deaI with
it as best you can in the interests of hu-
manity. good government. and righteous
ness, and in fairness 10 all
While Japan is a great nation and we'll
deserves all the complimentary things
the President has thought proper 10 say
about her In his message, yet China is "a
great nation also. II Japan has a glor-
iOus and ancient past, using the language
of the President. so has China If japan
has civilization older than that of the
nations Of modern Europe so, too. has
China. The two nations stand equal be-
fore US in every respect ana we are on
equally friendly terms with each OF them:
How long shall we remain so if we do not
treat them with equal consideration?
China's Complaint.
Within the the last year serious com
plant has been made by the Chinese peo-
pie about our treatment Of China as a
nation. And can any fair-minded man
say that the complaint has no foundation
to rest upon? China says to US now. and
has right to say: You excluded our la
borers: you gave US as a reason that you
could not permit coolie labor TO compete
with American labor, because such com
petition threatened disaster to the Amer
lean working classes; we recognized the
1usness OF your position and were salts
fed. But now you admit japanese
coolies, who are no better than our cool
les. Why do you do sog How are we
going TO answer the question? There is
not one single objection that We ever
urged against the Chinese Iaborer that
does not apply with equal force against
the japanese laborer. We are not going
TO answer 1t. We cannot answer II
Either we are treating China unfairly in
excluding Chinese coolies, or We are
treating our own people unfairly IN ad-
mitting japanese coolies. And In this
connection l would commend the essay
on Industrial Morality. found on the
thirty-fourth page Of the message, to its
distinguished author for re-perusal and
careful examination"