Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-01-08
GOV. PARDEE ON
JAPANESE ISSUE
Declares President Does Not Un-
derstand Difference Between
Them and Caucasians.
THEY CANNOT BE ASSIMlLaTED
Was in View of These Facts That
California Framed Her School
Laws.

Sacramento, Jan. SIN his mes
sage to the legislature concerning the
japanese school question, Gov Par
dee said:
1T IS safe TO say that the pres-
dent, when nc penned the portion OF
his annual message upon the opening
of Congress, in which he refers to the
treatment Of the Japanese in the san
francisco schools, was not aware of
the condition on this coast. and es-
pecially in California, In common
with the people of the east who have
had no experience with the unassimil-
able people OF Japan and China, the
president does not understand the
racial differences between the Japan
csc and the Chinese and people of
Caucasian blood. Coming in contact
only with few educated and intelll-
gent individuals of these two races,
the people of the eastern states do
not understand that to permit the
immigration OF only a small fraction
of the whole number of these people
means the monopolizing by them of
such pursuits as they may engage in.
This monopoliZatipu would not miti-
gate against the public good were
the monopolizers capable of being alb
sorbed into the body polite IN this
generation or even the next, becoming
integral parts of our cosmopolitan
people.
Unfortunately however. neither the
japanese nor the Chinese appear to be
capable of absorption and assimilation
into the mass OF our people. ii is use
less 10 expect that people with such
dlnerent racial characteristics and
civilization can ever mix with our ueo-
pie and become absorbed into our body
polite, they cannot become good Amer
lean citizens; ii is useless to attempt
to make them such.
Under these circumstances. 1t is not
at all strange that there is an aversion
to the mingling of the children of the
two races. And. therefore, California
has Gecreed that whenever it is so de-
sired, the local school authorities may
: provide separate schools for the Chi
nese and japanese children, in which
they shall be taught as Caucasian chill
dren are. and by equally capable teach
ers.
In the case of the Japanese. these
separations seem to be the most neces-
sary, because many of the Japanese
who desire 10 attend our schools are
much older than the Caucasian children
with whom. on account of their deffl-
cient learning. the Japanese must be
enclassed. 1t is not at all desirable
that youths, even Caucasian youths. OF
ISOLATED in the schools with children Of
tender ages. The reason therefor Is
sufficiently outlined by it's mere state
ment. The laws of California REQUIRE
the separation of the Chinese and jap
anese children from the Caucasian. The
treaty. as l read It. does not require that
the Japanese shall be put in classes
with our children. To give them as
good school facilities more than COM
plies with the treaty. Therefore, IL
would appear that San Francisco, In
providing separate schools for the
Japanese, is acting strictly within the
letter and spirit of the laws of this
state and is no way acting in contrar-
ity TO the treaty with Japan.
The state of California a sovereign
state OF the United States of America.
has no quarrel with the government of
either Japan or China: on the contrary,
California has the greatest respect for
these two countries. and deprecates
equally any !ndignaties which may be
nut upon Americans in Japan or China,
or upon japanese or Chinese subjects
H. this country. We realize thorough
ly that 1t Is only the irresponsible and
vicious in China and Japan who insult
and injure American citizens; we know
equally well. and we hope that the jap
anese and Chinese governments
also know, that 1t is only the irrespon-
sible and the vicious who. IN America,
insult and ,injure the subjects of these
two great nations, But, nevertheless,
until the courts of this country shall
have declared that California has no
right to do so, this state reserves to
itself the right and privilege to con-
duct under the law, state national and
treaty, its schools In such manner as
seems best To us; md this without the
slightest disrespect toward the govern
-
jccts of any foreign nation"
Gov, Pardee makes many recommend
ations for legislation on matters of
state interest.