Amador ledger., 1907-03-01
Washington
as Letter.
Washington, February Is. 1907.

4 Washington, February 10, 1907.
As far as California interests are
concerned, the past week has develop,
ed nothing more important ,than the
Japanese school question, which the
president has gone into with the same
ardor he exhibited in the matter oil
spelling reform. He has had several
conferences with Mayor Schmitz and
the rest of the delegation from San
francisco, the details of which have
not been made public. But it was
asserted that the 'bassoon player
played tune in the presidents ear
that caused him to sit up and take
notice that, there is a strong public
opinion in California which can not
be regulated by executive order. 1t
has been remarked that the president
has consulted only with Mayor
Schmitz and the San FIanciscans,
/ ignoring the members of the congress
lonal delegation who had already
shown him that they held an uncom-
promising attitude on the main points
of the controversy, and we're not
likely to yield to the persuasive
eloqnence of the "big stick.'' In
cases were the president meets with
opposition. those who manifest such
an unregenerate spirit get knock, y
and in this matter the CaIiforn ia
delegation got one Thursday morn
ing from the "HeraId, the new
Washington daily which is said and
believed to have been established on
the money of the president and his
friends, and which is wholesale
apoiogist and eulogist of the chief
executive. The Herald says:
"Some of the mem bers of the Cali
fornia delegation who are resentful
of the presidents failure to consult
them about the amendment TO the
immigration bill are being told they
received exactly the treatment they
deserved. They have talked freely
about the secret conferences. at the
White House heretofore, or at least
have been represented in newspapers
as talking freely, and it is said that
the president objected to putting the
now plan in jeopardy by telling the
California legislators about 1T, and
Thus making it possible for them to
discuss that development also.''
The development referred to is
an amendment to the impending i'm
migration bill giving the president
authority to prevent the immigration
from Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and
the Canal zone of Japanese, who 90
there with passports for those desti-
nations only, and who seek to come
thence to the United States; but this
authority he need not exercise unless
he thinks such immigration may be
''to the detriment. OF labor condi-
tions'' in the United States, Recall
ing his famous euIegistic message on
the Japanese and his Recommendation
that they be naturalized; his subse-
quent filings at the laboring classes of
San Francisco who object to Japanese,
competition, it may be pretty safely
assumed that the development is in
line with that which followed senator
Foraker's opposition to arbitrary
executive action and resulted in a
liklihood that there. will be negro
collector of customs in his home
town. If the amendment should be
adopted, and the San Francisco board
of education should consider this
fair return for the free admission of
Japanese pupils to the public schools,
the president will have gained dis
tinot and notable victory over the
delegation from San Francisco, fol
he has got his Japanese into the
schools, and can admit to California
just as many Japanese laboreIs and
artisans as he pleases or as Japan
may desire him to admit. The only
limit, as above stated, is that such
immigration shall not be ito the
detriment OF the labor conditions
of the United States, and he Is the
sole judge of that. The laboIers and
members of the different trades. in
California may perhaps derive great
comfort from this manner of dispos-
ing of the question.
f0r. l1nN II ~ ,oIA
the New York independent this week
in which he discusses very fully the
Japanese question as affecting the
Pacific coast. lie points out that the
completion of the Panama canal will
make San Francisco port of call for
transpaciIin commerce, and thus bring
to that city and the whole coast the
closest relations with the Orient.
From these relations, growing strong
er with years as competition for trade
increases, the Asiatic influence will
become one of the strongest, if not
the strongest, inuflence in the Pacific
states if, due care is not exercised.
lie points out that Hawaii, as stated
by the commissioner of labor, is, fast
becoming OrientalIzed, and that the
public schools are powerless. to
Americanize the Japanese Indeed,
the commissioner states that before
long Americans will refuse to permit
their children to attend. the public.
~ hoz-