The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-02-22
CALIFORNIA; RECENT THREAT

San Francisco has surrendered her
desire to exclude Japanese from the
public schools, on condition that the
Japanese coolies, who come to this
country to interfere with American
labor, be excluded from the country.
The conflict between the federal gov
eminent and the state of California,
over the admittance of children to the
San Francisco schools, is rendered
useless in light of the existing condi-
tions, but because of the dispute over
the point 1t would seem probable that
the case begun by the United States
government to force the city of San
Francisco to admit the Jap student,
ought to be carried on and determined
finally in the United States supreme
court.
The question as to whether the fed
eral treaty takes precedence over and
annuls the law of the state Is still I'M
determined, but it is one which may
arise again at any time. For that rea-
son the opinion of the United States
supreme court upon this point is very
much desired just now.
Now that San Francisco has lost
sympathy In its fight by admitting that
the school question and the states
right question, over which so much
frenzy was created and regarding
which so many hearts were set beat
ing for the rights of the parents who
were alarmed lest their children be
sent to school with the yellows, were
not at the root of the teapot tempest
at all, but that 1t was the labor prob
lem at the foundation, there will be a
reaction in favor of more centralized
federal control of all things. 1t has
been brought out clearly in this whirl.
wind that there must be a final au.
thority somewhere, and that it would
be with the federal government
where 1t will operate to the advantage
of the whole nation, than with various
states, allowing each community to sci
itself up into a supreme government
and to pass laws that will lock horns
, with those of the national government
! Ii is the same old question which
, stirred our forefathers into ringing
, speeches and debates when the con
, stitution was framed. 1t is the same
old question that rose up and sent hall
of this country at fighting the Other
: half, forty-odd years ago. And it is 8
| question which will be settled one day
, by concentrating more authority with
J the federal government, at state gov
. ernment's expense.
; When this San Francisco school con
troversy arose, California sent clio
quent kilograms to eastern newspa
: pers threatening to secede before they
| would surrender their God-given right
to send their children to white schools
, and to keep them separated from orr
entail companions. 1t was pointed ou
/ that California was a powerful com
; monwealth, a wealthy state, and {
J proud community 1t was argued thai
: Californians were a peculiarly indie
pendent people, fearing no man, ant
; that for the sake of their little chill
} dren's rights they would go to war, il
: need be. with the balance of this un
ion. The outcome has demonstrated
that all of this impassioned outcry
/ was not for the children's schooling
but was based upon the competitiv,
labor that comes into the Golden Cat,
from the orient.
, But for all of that, the memory o.
! the California threat is still ringing IL