The San Francisco call., 1907-02-23

from him by another Congressional
act.
For some time there has been a
feeling in Democratic circles that the
whole Schmitz administration had lost
its union labor following in the bet
ter element, and that there might
be chance for the party to form an
alliance with the dissatisfied advocates
of Japanese exclusion
In regard to this matter Macarthur
refused to talk, declaring that he was
a poor politician and had always de-
clined to have anything to do with
practical politics. but he did not hesi-
tate to express his views on the ac-
ton of Schmitz and the School Board
a the capital.
DISOBEYED PRESIDENT
The labor editor intimated that the
city officials had done the very thing
that prominent labor leaders had some
time before refused to do by declining
invitations from the President to at
tend the conference IN Washin gton.
Macarthur would not give the names
of those who had thus disobeyed the
PRESIDENTS command. but by reference.
to the japanese Exclusion League later
he left ii to be presumed that the
leaders of that organization were the
recipients of the Invitations
For some time the wrath of the Jap
anese Exclusion League over the man
ner in which Schmitz misrepresented
conditions in California has been ap-
parent. Macarthur said:
We have been working for years
to get the Asiatics excluded from this
country and now 1t seems that all our
work is being undone. BY a recent
act Congress placed in the hands of
the President power to administer the
immigration laws as he saw fit, when
1t must have been apparent that sooner
or later that power would have to pe
taken away from him. There are indi-
cations that the administration would
even favor repeal of the Chinese ex-
clusion law.
II have no patience with representa-
tives who will consent to go into secret
conference with the President on a
matter which so vitality affects the peo-
pie as this Japanese matter does
Whatever is done should be above
board. They say: oh, it's all right,
boys; we know, but we can't tell, be-
cause we have promised the President
not to-
SCHMITZ IS A FOOL
Il maintain that the people have
right to a voice in these matters. AS
to Schmitz and the other fellows, the
ID fools didn't have sense enough
to stay at home when they could have
sent word to Roosevelt that he would
have to deal with the Legislature of
California in the matter. The law CIV
ing boards of education power to seq
regate Mongolians was enacted for
purpose-it was not placed on the stat
ute books to help fill them up. OF
course, this school question is minor
matter compared with the immigration
problem, but the principle is the same.
l don't know what motive Schmitz had
in butting into the affair, but his ac-
ton has brought insult upon the people
of San Francisco.
Some months ago I attended an I'm
migration conference in New York City
and while there was invited with sew
eral others to meet the President and
discuss the problems confronting the
country in regard to the admission of
foreigners. 1t was stipulated that our
conference was to be under the rose
as is the custom with Roosevelt, and
upon hearing of this 1 refused to have
anything to do with it.
Not so long ago certain citizens of
San Francisco were invited to attend
the conference which was recently held
at the capital, but they declined. Then
came the invitation to the members of
the Board of Education, and they went
and the Mayor went with them