The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-03-02

udieu FEBRUARY ~:
| ssWASHINGTON, February 19.-Now
that the amendment of the imnaigra-
ton law that permits the President to
exclude those Japanese who come to
| the United States without mainland
passports is law, Senators and Rep
resentativeS are in doubt as to what
has been accomplished. Mayor Schmitz
received the promise of Roosevelt that
efforts will be made to negotiate a
treaty with Japan, which will stop the
influx of coolies to California. In order
to open the way for those negotiations.
the President insisted that the public
schools Of San. Francisco be reopened
| IL Tie Japanese. Inc Mayor surren-
dered to the President. Today official
intimation was vouchsafed by the
State department that the first steps
toward obtaining new japanese
treaty are being taken. These are the
net results to date of the agitation up
on the Pacific Coasts part to keep the
western rim of this continent a white
mans country Exclusion of cheap
Oriental labor. under a tentative law,
rests now with the President-and the
Japanese government. Should Japan
decide to issue mainland passports to
those of her subjects who desire to
avail themselves of the high wage
rates in the United States, the Presi-
dent is powerless to even check an in
pouring of coolies. This was empha-
sized tonight by r. p. Schwerin, gen.
eral manager of the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, who said that his
company would, of course. transport
all the japanese who wanted to come
4 civ
passports to the mainland
It seems to me that the entire dis
cussion of ways and means TO avert
or mitigate the japanese peril ig-
the first place. Japan, by reason of
her achievements in both peace and
war, has demanded, has been accord
ed, and has taken position of promi-
hence and equality among the nations;
proof of which is shown by the va
rious treaties made with her, includ-
| ing notably that of the United States.
We cannot, either by hocus pocus or
in an open and aboveboard manner.
refuse to allow ner people tc enter our
territory without, both in letter and
spirit. violating that treaty. We have
conceded them that right, and we must
make good,'' il we wish to retain our
national honor and uphold our tIadi-
TONS
In the second place. the Japanese do
not come to America or Hawaii with
I
a colonizing spirit, but simply to bet
ter themselves, i. e., obtain work at
higher wages than they can secure at
home This twaddle about ''Japaniz-
ing" America, or even her island pos
sessions, 10 pueriie and childish. Here
in Hawaii, where on account of our
cosmopolitan population the bars Of
race prejudice have probably been let
down lower than in airy other country,
they do not marry or assimi1ate with
other races. They show no desire to
become citizens and control the gov
eminent. Their savings are sent back
to their native land to support their
| less fortunate relations, or to acquire
land to which they can retire in old
age; not to bring those relations to
the Irish, Germans, Italians. and other
continental immigrants. This applies
to those who do not leave Japan until
they have reached maturity.
The fact that children born of Japa-
nese parents will be entitled to vote
upon reaching their majority should
Il
is considered that they are receiving
their education in American public
SCHOOLS, and are being brought up un-
der the influence of our laws and our
special and particular brand of civil
izatioE. This influence has made good
and desirable citizens of the millions
who have landed on our eastern
shores: why should it not work the
same way on our western borders? I
cite Chicago, one of our most-if not
the most-enterprising cities of the
United States, of whose population II
I am correctly informed, less thar 10
per cent. have American-born parents,
and a surprisingly large number of the
remainder first saw the light else
where than in 1.-The land of the free
and the home of the brave.
That is one point of vieW-here, is
another: The United States has never
been able to rear enough citizens to
do the work that needs TO be done,
and is constantly calling for assistance
from other countries. Fruit drops
from the trees for lack of laborers IN
California; grain rots in the field In
Montana and the Dakotas for want or
Iaborers; thousands of tons Of sugar
beets remain undug in Colorado and
Nebraska for want of laborers; thou
sands shivered last winter for want or
laborers to dig coal; and If We did not
GET the first chance at the laborers
coming from the Orient, how much
sugar would we be able to place on
the market? Surely no one will deny
that we must have assistance, or fail
back from the head of the procession
of nations.
But the japanese viii not do THESE
things that need to be done, says
one: '.they are constantly endeavoring
to gain a foothold in the ranks OF
skilled labor, and work for smaller
wages in order to accomplish their
aims. thereby throwing white men out