The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-21
PRESIDENT IS
| ARRAIGNED BY
HOUSE MEMBERS
R00seyelt's Letter on ANTI
Japanese Legislation Is
Called an Insult
A. M. Drew and Grove Johnson
Protest Against Postpone
ment of Action
Possibility Of Bill Now Being
Passed by Legislature Is
Very Meager
Especial Dispatch to The Call

lOpectdt DfsPQtch 10 Ine IQHI
CALL HEADQUARTERS, CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE BUILDING, sACRA-
MENTO, Jan. SOs--There will be no
anti-Japanese legislation enacted by
the thirty eighth session of the Cali
fornia legislature. There is no longer
any room for doubt on that head.
And if there were a possibility
of the passage of either the
Drew bill prohibiting aliens to ac-
quire and hold real property in this
state or the Johnson bill prohibiting
alien directors of California corpora
lions Governor Gillett's veto would
stand between them and the statute
books.
The action of the assembly this
morning, when both the Drew and
Johnson bills were put over for week
and in the matter of its refusal to pass
Preston's resolution calling upon Presi-
dent Roosevelt for information touch
ing pending negotiations with Japan
was the beginning of the end. When
the Drew and Johnson bills come up
for final action, if they ever get to that
stage, they are slated for defeat and
Speaker Stanton will not let any de-
mands for executive information get
through. Governor Gillett refused to-
day to talk further for publication.
contenting himself with a general
statement that there was nothing fur
Their to say. The fact remains how
ever, that he considers both the john
son and Drew bills as ridiculous as
well as serious menaces to the material
welfare of the state quite aside from
their application to the Japanese ques-
ton.
So pronounced is the new attitude of
the senate and assembly leaders that 1t
is safe to predict that not even a law
for the segregation of Asiatics in the
public schools will be enacted.
ROOSEVELT is ARRAIGNED
After Drew had moved the postpone
ment of consideration until next
Wednesday Johnson began his arraign-
ment of the president for the interview
ton.
Two years ago Mr.. Drew had a SIM
liar bill before the assembly regard
ing Aliens, said Johnson, and we re-
ceived similar telegram from the
president to the effect that legislation
here might cause trouble with Japan.
and other members yielded to the
request of our spectacular president
We've waited two years. and what's the
result? The condition as to the Jap
anese Is worse than 1t was two years
ago So far as Sacramento is con-
cerned, there are now between two
and three times as many Japanese in
this city as there were two years ago.
In so far as l am concerned I have
no fear of any big stick
The only question before the house
is to postpone action, and you can
discuss only the question to postpone
action interposed Speaker Stanton.
WANTED IMMEDIATE ACTION
Il differ with the chair" responded
Johnson. Il favor acting today because
nothing can be gained by delay. The
Japanese are an ulcer on society We
ought not pay any attention to any
telegram and ought to act Immediately
because 1t is for the benefit of Califor-
MIA. Let us act now--the sooner the
better"
Johnson continued by saying he had
helped throw down the gauntlet to
Great Britain in the Venezuela affair
or 1885 when he was in congress and
voted to sustain Grover Cleveland.
Il am inclined to believe the request
of the governor and the president does
mean something" said c. C. Young of
Berkeley, MIR. Johnson to the contrary
Notwithstanding 1 don't see that the
matter of putting this consideration
over for a week is going to make a
great difference"
Drew then took the floor and after
saying he had received numerous let
tiers urging the passage of legisla-
ton against the Japanese. asked that
the bill be re-referred and that the
governor and some of the senator's be
invited to appear before the committee.
PRESIDENTS LETTER INSULTING
II think the presidents letter is in
sulting to the members in the terms
in which it is couched. but I believe
he is entitled to consideration. said
Drew after asserting that Johnson's
representations as to the encroach-
ments of the Japanese were correct
II favor passing the bill If no better
reason is given than appears in the
parts of the letter published. If a con-
test with the Japanese is to come there
can be no better time than now"
Drew's motion to defer action on his
bill TO prevent aliens from retaining
title to land in this state was carried
by the following vote:
Ayes-Barndollar, Beardslee. Bohnett,
Callan, Cattell, CogswelL Collier, Cos
tar. Cronin, Dean Drew, Feeley. Fla
velie Fleisher, Flint. Gerdes Gibbons,
ellis, Griffiths. Harmon. Hanlon, Hawk,
Hewitt, Hinkle. Holmquist, Leeds, Nc
Clellan. Melrose. Mendenhall. Moore,
Otis. Perine, Preston, Pulcifer. Rech,
Sackett. silver. Transue, Wagner. Whit
ney. Wyllie. Young and Stanton--43.
Noes-Baxter. Beatty, Beban. Black.
Butter, Column, cullen, O1reer, mans,
Hayes, Hopkins, Irwin johnson of Sac
ramento, Johnson of San Diego. John
ston of Contra Costa, Juilliard, kehoe,
Lightner. MacAuley. Maher, McManus,
Mott Nelson, Odofn, O'Neil, Polsley,
Pugh, Rutherford. Schmitt. Stucken-
bruck. Teller, Weber. Wheelan, Will
son--34.
Drew offered a concurrent resolution
for committee of three to Investigate
the Japanese situation in this state and
appropriating $4,000 TO defray the ex-
penses of the committee. The resolu-
tion went to the committee on rules.
Presidents Reason Given
Especial Dispatch 10 The CALI
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.-while such
assurances as have come from repre-
sentative Pacific coast men regarding
1.-THE lnlprobability of legislation in
California adverse to the Japanese
have undoubtedly done much to re-
lieve the apprehension that exists In
administration circles, 1t is a fact that
n 1