Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-20
GILLETT AFRAID
TO ANTAGONIzF
ALIEN OPINION
ROOSEVELT AND GOVERNOR
WARN LEGISLATURE
ANTI-JAPANEsE LAWS MUST NOT
BE PASSED
Exciting Fight InevitabIe-Report ia.
pan Has Filed Protest-"PeopIe
Don't Want Cheap Labor"
Says Grove johnson
Especial to The Herald j


| q ACRAMENTO, Jan. 1s.-In a state.
IN ment tonight Governor Gillett said
there will be no legislation against
| the japanese at this session of the
| legislature. The governor authorized
the following statement:
| AFTER conversing with the leading
members Of both branches of the legis-
lature tonight, I am convinced that
no legislation directed against the
japanese will be enacted.
I am satisfied that the people of
| california and particularly the mem
| perS OF our legislature appreciate the
efforts being made by the federal gov
| ernment and the representatives of
Japan to stop immigration to this coun-
| Try OF Japanese laborers, skilled and
unsl4illed.
| There can be no doubt that the
Japanese government is acting abso-
lutely in good faith in it's endeavor to
prevent its people from immigrating to
our country and in my judgment it
would be serious mistake while they
are so doing to enact any laws directed
against the Japanese people.
This question is one in which the
| federal government is particularly in
terested and it's wishes should be care
fully considered and will be, am sure,
by the people of this state''
A general understanding was reached
l
garding the action to be taken tomor-
row on the Drew bill, preventing aliens
| holding lands, and the Johnson bill,
denying them the right to be directors
| in corporations.
! They have been made a special or
| der of business and a fierce fight is
predicted by their friends.
Will Keep Away "CapitaIists"
Their opponents will hold, as do
| Governor Gillett, Lieutenant Governor
| Porter and Speaker Stanton, that the
anti-Japanese land bill would keep for
! elgn capitalists Of Europe as we'll as
Asia, from investing in California land,
! thereby working great harm from the
financial standpoint.
| This argument also is applied by the
! governor and the speaker to the di-
rectors' bill, they declaring that many
rich European corporations now doing
business iR- the state through resident
directors, who are not citizens, would
| be seriously incOnvenienced and un-
doubtedly would withdraw great sums
of money from investment here.
On the other hand. the friends of the
| anti Japanese measures assert that
they ce demanded by the people of
the whole state and that they will not
| give up without struggle.
| ASSemblyman Johnson announced on
| the floor of the house today that he
| would contest the right of the preSi-
| dent or anybody else to delay legiSla-
| tion.'
| He is author of the measure prevent
| ing the japanese being members Of
| corporations.
| AssembIyman Drew, author of the
| land bill, is not so belligerent. He
| stated today that he would do all in
| his power to secure the passage of his
! bill and believed if it were put to a
vote at once in either house it would
| pass quickly.
| However, he said, the governor had
| the veto power and the fate Of the bill
would be ''up to the executive"
| No measure has created such discus
sion since the session began. More
than 1000 copies of the bill were printed,
! but within a few days they had been
distributed over the state.
Mr.. Drew receives scores of letters
daily. He said today that none pro-
tested against the bill. 1t is evident
| that the governor and leaders in both
branches are relying upon the test
vote tomorrow to settle the question
so far as this session is concerned.
Gillett does not intend to send a spe-
cial message to the legislature unless
doubt arises as to the final outcome
| of the controversy.
He holds that the legislative body
is wise enough to conduct it's affairs
without such formal advice and would
prefer that it answer the presidents
letter by it's vote on the bills.
The San Francisco delegation is par
ticularly active for the enactment Of
Drew's land bill and applauded loudly
when Johnson issued his ultimatum
this afternoon regarding his directors
and segregation measures.