The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1907-10-04
EXCLUDE JAP LABoRERS
Congressman French Gives Advice
In Speech at Twin Falls.

In strong address at Twin Falls
on the occasion Of the Twin Fall
County fair, September Is, 2o, an
q, Congressman Burton L. Frenc
had the following to say concernin,
japanese and Chinese immigration
As deeply as feel upon tn
question Of Japanese and Chimes,
immigration would be recreant tt
my duty if failed at this time tt
refer thereto. 1t is the duty of oul
nation to have guard for, not only
our commercial and industrial wei
being, but for our people as well.
The west is going through grea,
formative period and more import
ant than the construction ofrailways,
the building Of cities, or the re-
clamation Of land is the safeguarding
OF our population. To the west OF
US two mighty peoples are breaking
the bonds Of lethargy that have held
them down throughout the centuries
gone by. Rich in latent power the
people Of the Japanese and Chinese
nations are rapidly taking their place
beside the people Of the white race.
Their native lands are full to over
flowing. They see upon our own
continent the possibilities that their
awakening spirit Graves. And here
lies one Of the greatest dangers to
the peace and we'll being of our ma
ton that the future seems to hold.
Peoples Of different color and widely
racial tendencies do not
live side by side under the same flag
in peace and harmony. 1t matters
not the relative development Of the
races. 1t matters not that they are
equal in all that makes for highest
manhood and purest womanhood.
1t matters only that their social
characteristics are separated by a
chasm so deep that it cannot be
bridged at the marriage altar, and
their folklore stories mingled by a
common freside. Such is the chasm
that separates the American people
today from the people Of the Orient.
Prior to the discovery Of gold in
following a policy Of ex-
clusiyeness centuries old the people
Of China and Japan had hardly set
foot upon our shores. Within four
years after 184o ten thousand Chinese
alone had landed in the United
States, and by 1882, when the first
definite act was passed restricting
the immigration of Chinese laborers
into our country, more than one
thousand Chinese and Jap
anese had found their way hither.
At that time congress listened to the
voice of the west and an act was
passed suspending the immigration
Of Chinese laborers into the United
States. We have followed that
policy ever since. Today there are
nearly quarter Of million people
from China and Japan in our midst,
and if ready immigration were possi-
bic this number would multiply
itself many times within the next few
years. There is today powerful
sentiment in the east, which says to
5e lenient with these people, Throw
down the bars to their immigration.
1t is prompted by the spirit Of COM
mercialism. 1t is not prompted by
the thought of highest welfare for
our country. Within year the
American people have witnessed a
struggle that has gone on in oan
Francisco between the citizens and
school authorities on the one side
and the Japanese on the other over
the question as to whether or not
the Japanese should attend the pub
lie schools side by side, in the same
rooms, in the same classes, with our
own boys and girls. Within a year
we have heard forecasts OF war be-
tween our country and the Empire
of Japan. Within the month we
have seen ten thousand laborers IN