The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-09
Governor of California Touch
eS on Jap Question in His
Annual Message.
AFFAIR misunderstood
HE SAYS THE PEOPLE OF THE
EAST CANNOT APPRECIATE PO-
CITIZENS.
Publishers Press.1

Sacramento, Cal, Jan. SIN the
message Of Governor Pardee to the
California legislature concerning the
Japanese school question. he said: 1T
is safe to say that the president, when
he penned the portion of his annual
message at the opening of congress,
in which he refers to the treatment of
Japanese in San Francisco schools,
was not aware of the condition on the
coast, and especially in California. In
common with people of the east, who
have had no experience with the I'M
assimiable of Japan and China, the
president does not understand the ra-
cial differences between the Japanese
and the Chinese and people of eau
casian blood. Coming in contact only
with educated and intelligent individ-
uals, of these two races, the people
pf the eastern states do not under
stan that, TO permit the immigration
pf only small fraction OF the whole
humber of these people means the
monopolizing by them of such pursuits
as they may engage in. The monop-
blization would not mitigate the public
good. were the monopolizers capable
Of being absorbed into the body pol
tic In this generation. or even the
next, being integral parts of our
cosmopolitan people. Unfortunately,
neither the Japanese nor the Chinese
appear to be capable of absorption
and assimilation into the mass of our
people. 1t is useless to expect that
people with such different racial char
acteristics and civilization can ever
mix with our people and become alb
Sorbed into our body polite; they
cannot become good American citizens
and it is useless to attempt to make
them such. Under the circumstances,
1t is not at all strange that there is an
aversion to the mingling of the chill
dren of the two races. And. there
fore. California has decreed that.
whenever it is so desired, the local
school authorities may provide sep
arate schools for Japanese schoolgirl
dren, in which they shall be taught as
Caucasian children are and by equally
capable teachers. In the case of the
Japanese, the separation was the
most necessary, because so many of
the Japanese who desire to attend our
schools are so much older than the
count of their deficient learning the
Japanese must be enclassed. II is not
at all desirable that youths, even
Caucasian youths IS years old or
more, should be associated in the
schools with children OF tender ages.
The reason therefor is sufficiently ex-
planned by its mere. statement. The
laws of California require the separa-
ton of Japanese children from the
Caucasian. The treaty, as | read it,
does not require that the Japanese
shall be put in classes with our chill
dren. To give them equally as good
school facilities more than complies
with the treaty Therefore it would
appear that San Francisco. in provid-
ing separate schools for the Japanese,
Is adhering strictly within the letter
and spirit OF the laws of the state, and
is in no way in contrariety to the
treaty with Japan. The state of Cal
ifornia, 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 indignities which may be put upon
Americans in Japan or China, or upon
Japanese or Chinese in this country.
We realize thoroughly that it 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 Japanese
and Chinese governments also know
that il is only the irresponsible and
vicious who in America insult and in
lure the subjects of these two great
nations. But nevertheless, unless the
courts of this country shall have de-
clared that California has no right to
do so. the state reserves to itself the
right TO provide and conduct under
the law. state. national and treaty,
its schools in such manner as seems
best to us. and this without the slight
est disrespect toward the government
of the United States or the subjects
Of any foreign nation