The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-02-15
TN DEFENCE OF
STATE RIGHTS
Frazier Of Tennessee Makes Vigor-
Gus Speech In the Senate.
PRESIDENT IS REBUKED
Position Taken By People of California
on School Row Matter is Upheld
and Approved by TenneSSeean.


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 its own school system, the last
stronghold Of local self-goyernment
was destroyed Ii a treaty could force
Mongolians into the white schools OF
California 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.
lie expressed the highest admiration
for the Japanese, but said that the ac-
ton OF California furnished no pretext
FOR a quarrel with that country The
school board Of San Francisco had
elmply executed a state law providing
for the education of white and Japan
csc children in separate schools. 1t
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 It's
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.
u challenge any one to find in the
treaty word guaranteeing to Japan
csc residents the right to enter pubic
Echools Of the states at all much
less to enter them in defiance OF
state laws and regulations
The United States government can
not compel a 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 so TO school But
even If the right of residence did car
ny with it the right to enter public
schools" he added, "it did not carry
any exception from the right of sep
aration ia the schools The treaty
with Japan provided that the Japan
ese must conform themselves to the
laws police regulations of the coun-
try like native citizens. Can 1t 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
MIR Blaine in the case of the lynch,
ing of Italian citizens in New Or
leans. There was a treaty with Italy,
which guaranteed protection to ltal-
ian citizens, but when the Italian gov
eminent complained Mr. Blaine i'm
formed 1t 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
Mr.. 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 a foreign power.
Our trouble with Japan, he said, had
its origin in our colonial policy which
had inspired 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 on the
recent speech of Secretary Root,
which he declared to be threat to
wipe out state lines and absorb all
power OF the state into the govern
ment
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 free
people. The secretary inumated 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
it's own. Let it reduce the monstrous
tariff which had built up and was
protecting the trusts.
1t was not necessary, said MIR Fra.
zier, to make the rights and powers