Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-17
IMMIGRATION BILL
Conference Report Adopted by
Senate
AFTER A LONG DEBATE
Which Included Several Lively Tits
Between Members.
MR., TILLMAN WANTS LIGHT
But He Fails to Get It-Mr. Culber-
sons Statement as to Mis-
representations.

| The Senate yesterday afternoon without
division adopted the conference report on
| the immigration bill containing the much
| discussed clause aimed at Japanese cool1e
exclusion and designed to facilitate the
| efforts of the administration to compose
| the differences arising over the exclusion
| of Japanese children from the schools or
California The democratic opposition to
! the conference report exhausted itself In a
number of speeches and in roll call on
| motion preliminary to the adoption of the
| conference report.
| The tone of the democratic discussion
was pessimistic and censorious Several
democratic senators expressed the opinion
| that the legislation was but makesh1ft
and would not settle the main question,
which Is race friction that can only, In
| their Judgment be settled by exclusion of
Japanese immigration. President Roosevelt
| was charged by democrats with coercing
/ the Californans and forcing them to aban-
| don their rights.
| A motion by Senator Culberson to instruct
| the immigration committee to bring in a
| joint resolution for the exclusion of coole
| labor was ruled out of order, and the
vote of 40 to 24 Following that action the
conference report was adopted without
| division.
Tillman Seeks "Some Light"
After The Stars report closed yester-
day Mr. Tillman interrupted Mr.. Bacon
ito get some light
| II see in the morning papers," he be-
| gan, reference to the big stick making
| threats of an extra session unless this re-
port is adopted, and the big stick In
New York (Senator Aldrich) telephoning
| to Senator Crane orders about the river
| and harbor bill, to leave out the South
Carolina and Georgia items. Well, South
| Carolina has not much in that bill-Georgia
| may have a whole ham of the beef.
II notice also that the cabinet met some
| time yesterday and that it reached the con-
| clusion that the changes made in the i'm
migration law did not affect the decision OF
Secretary StrauS the South Carolina
case.
perhaps the senator from Massachusetts
| Godge) who is SO well informed OF what
occurs at the White House, and on occa-
sions telephones, may tell US whether the
cabinet did decide that question
Here Mr.. Tillman paused long for answer
Senator Lodge made no sign of replying
Il hope the senator will say yes or no,
at last remarked Mr.. Tillman. and then
after another silence, We'll, l have tried
to get some enlightenment, but it seems
/ have failed
Tilt With Mr.. Hale.
A somewhat strained situation then devel-
oped between the South Carolina senator
and Mr.. Hale. Mr. Tillman read Mr.. Hale's
statement in condemning the conferees on
the rate bill for bringing in new matter.
which he concluded by saying, II shall be
woefully, woefully, woefully disappointed
| if the senator from Maine does not stand
| by his wise and proper decision last June.
| but shall change and become an opportun-
| ist"
| In reply Mr. Hale first complimented
| Messrs Tillman and Bacon on the able
manner in which the debate had been con-
Quoted. He had not felt called upon to par
| tic:pate, and said that the senator had no
| ground to say he had changed his attitude.
| When Mr.. Tillman insisted he was juSti-
fed in presuming change by the senator's
| silence. Mr.. Hale commended he had been
| busy on appropriation bills.
| Then Mr. Tillman referred to a private
| conversation he had had with Mr.. Hale,
| from which he had understood the senator
| was going to vote for the report. Mr.. Hale
| evidenced irritation at this and declared it
was most unusual to make private CONVEX
sations public.
Resenting the reference to private con-
! versation Mr.. Hale said 1.-THE senator has
| no business to stand up here and refer to
| little interlocutory talks. l never do that.
If should 1 would get the senator into
| hot water every day..
| Mr.. Tillman replied that he had no
| picion that the senator from Maine would
| talk way privately and another way
publicly.
1.-The senator grows more and more Of
fensiye," retorted Mr.. Hale with some
| heat. He has right to intimate that 1
| nave Sdlu any lHlHS " Lliill Ou ILLS piopO-
sition in any way as indicating how 1
should vote
| Mr.. Tillman resented being lectured. He
expressed regret that he had created any
| unpleasantness, and offered to withdraw, If
\ he could honorably. anything he had said.
| This Mr.. Hale did not desire.
To form an issue as to the precise points
wherein the conferees were alleged to have
exceeded their authority Mr.. Carter had
| Mr. Bacon indicate what he considered
| new matter.
Three Sections Pointed Out.
The passport provision, the provision for
an International conference and that re-
| quirng steamships to provide more air
space for immigrant passengers were the
| three sections pointed out by Mr.. Bacon.
Defending the position of the conference
committee Mr.. Lodge discussed each of
| these provisions, contending that the pow
| ers of the conferees had not been exceeded
| in any instance. The House, he said, had
| placed the entire immigration laws in it's
| bill. This had placed the whole question
of immigration in issue. All of the pro-
visions inserted he held to be germane to
the general subject, and that he believed
| to be the true test.
Mr.. Lodge said he was supported in this
view by Speaker Cannon and by Mr.. Kinds,
the Speakers parliamentary clerk, who
was, Mr.. Lodge said, the greatest living
| authority on parliamentary law.
Senator Stone addressed himself to the
''low vitality" clause of the bill, saying he
had received numerous communications in
dicating that IN operation this clause would
be a discrimination against the admission
| of Russian Jews Mr. Dillingham; explained
that he understood the objection referred
| to had been directed against the House
provision, which was not in the bill
In opposing the passport clause Senator
Culberson referred to the California-Jap-
anese situation.
This situation has become acute" he
said because the President Of the United
| States in his message to this Congress has
seen fit to misstate the situation In Cali
| fornia in the interests of the Japanese. And
/ the japanese. taking their cue from the
| President. assert claim that great In
| justice has been done to them by the
| people on the Pacific coast.
| I'm each of his messages to Congress the
| President has rnissfafed the situation to the