Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-02-04
.CAL|F0RN|ANS
KILL ANTI
JAP Law
DREW MEASURE LOST
BY TWO TO ONE VOTE
Turned Down as Inimical to
State Declared It Would
Drive Out Billion Dollars in
Capital,


iBy Morning Journal Special Lsassd wirsl
Sacramento Cal. Feb S.-After Il
debate extending from II o'clock this
morning until D. IN. the assembly
rejected the bin drawn by A. NJ. Drew
barring aliens from ownership OF land
in California by vote of As to 2S
The bill had been amended at the
request of President Roosevelt and
/ Secretary Root so that the clause APP
! plying to Japanese only was elimin-
ated, making it apply to all aliens,
| bat the measure aroused such storm
of opposition that long before the de-
bate was closed by Mr Drew 1t was
apparent that the measure would be
defeated
| In substance the objection to it was
that it would drive at least a billion
dollars of foreign capital out of the
state and might jeopardize the present
| friendly commercial relations with
Japan.
| The proponents OF the bill contend
| ed that the state was being overrun
! by thrifty japanese, who were gradu-
ally gaining an imprcgnable position
as land owners. and whose govern
ment was trying to dictate to CaIfor-
mia regarding legislation.
Two sensational speeches were
made, one for and one against the bill.
Assemblyman Grove l.. Johnson. for
Sacramento. cx-congrcssman and au-
thor Of four bills segregating Japanese
IN schools ane residential districts
and preventing aliens being members
of corporations. made an impassion
ed appeal for the enactment of the
Drew bill
AT his climax he walked backward
from his scat to the lobby rail and
scizng in his arms a golden-halred
girl of three. held her aloft and de-
clared that he vas in favor "of this as
opposed to the japanese menace Of
oar Institutions
Nathan c. Cole. of san Francisco.
who was elected with the endorse
mcnt Of the union labor party. op-
posed the Drew bill in that It was
in conflict with the state constitution
so that rt--Yas inimical to union la
Dor, and that it was not favored by
the national administration, which he
said was dealing with delicate prob
lem and should be supported by the
people of California.
Dramatically confronting Assembly |
man Drew he said
IF President Roosevelt should |
suddenly thrown open the doors of |
this assembly chamber ana laying his |
hands upon your shoulder should re- |
quest for reasons of state that you |
withdraw the bill. you Mr.. Drew, as
a patriotic citizen of the United States |
would assent without murmur"
This sally was received with great |
applause.
In reply, MIR Drew. closing his ar
gumont for the bill, declared that he
had received letter from the presi- |
dent IN which he stated that he was |
not opposed to the bill as it had been |
amended at his request
In his opening remarks this fore
noon Mr.. Drew made the statement |
that already there were in California |
10000 Japanese. most Of whom had |
belonged to the japanese army which |
could be moblizcd at moments no.
tice in case of histillties.
Richard Melrose. of Ahaheim. who |
had gathered statistics in opposition !
not more than 5000 japanese in Cal |
iforna and that there were not more /
than seventy-five japanese property +!
owners in the state
Mr.. Melrose spoke for Governor
Gillett. Speaker stanton and leaders
in both branches of the legislature.
and counselled delay to enable the I
state labor commissioner to take a |
census Of the japanese. Mr. Stanton
recently at the request Of
the governor. bill appropriating |
$4,000 for such a census and as soon
as the other anti-Japanese measures
are disposed of this bill, will he |
rushed to passage and the labor bu-
reau will begin its task
Before adjournment tonight Assem- +
blyman johnson asked that his bills
be taken up first thing In the morn
ing, limiting the debate to thirty min
utcs on each side This was granted |
by the house.