Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-04

BILL DEFEATED
BYLEGISLATURF.
ASSEMBLY REJECTS DREW'S
MEASURE, 48 TO 28
AMENDED TO SUIT ROOSEVELT,
BUT ARoUsEs PROTEST
Stormy Opposition Due to Claim Ex=
cIusion Of Aliens Would Keep
Billion Dollars from
California
Especial to The Herald I

L
IN O'Clock this morning until s
o'clock tonight the california state as
sembly rejected the bill drafted by A.
M. Drew excluding aliens from the
ownership of land in California. The
vote was 48 to %.
The measure has been amended at
the request of President Roosevelt and
Secretary Root so that the clause ap-
plying only to the japanese was elm
mated, making it apply to all aliens
but the measure aroused such a storm
of opposition that long before the de-
bate was closed by Mr.. Drew it was
apparent that the measure would be
defeated.
In substance, the objection to it was
that it would drive at least billion
dollars of foreign capital out of the
state and might jeopardize the present
friendly commercial relations.
The proponents of the bill contended
that the state was being overrun by
thrifty Japanese who had no intention
of becoming citizens, who were grad
ually gaining an impregnable position
as land owners and whose government
was trying to dictate to California re-
garding legislation.
Speeches Sensational
Two sensational speeches were made
one for and one against the meas
ure.
Assemblyman Grove L. johnson of
Sacramento and former congressman
and author of four bills segregating
Japanese in schools and residential dis
tricts and preventing aliens from be-
coming members of corporations, make
an impassioned appeal for the enact
ment of the Drew bill.
At his climax he walked backward
from his seat to the lobby rail, and
seizing in his arms a golden-haired girl
Of years held her aloft and declared
that he was Gin favor of this" as op-
posed to "the Japanese menace to our
| institutions"
Nathan c. Coghlan of San Francisco,
who was elected with Endorsement of
the Union Labor party, opposed the
Drew bill on the ground that it was in
| conflict with the state constitution;
that it was inimical to union labor and
that it was not favOred'by the national
administration, which, he said, was
dealing with a delicate problem aud
should be supported by the people of
California.
Dramatically confronting Assembly
man, Drew he said: eff President
Roosevelt should suddenly throw open
the doors of this assembly chamber,
and laying his hand on your shoulder
should request for reasons of state that
| you withdraw this bill, you, Mr.. Drew,
as a patriotic citizen of the United
| States, would accede without a muir
mur."
Sally Receives Applause
This sally was received with great
applause.
In reply, Mr.. Drew, closing his argU-
ment for the bill, declared that he had
received a letter from the president, in
which he stated that he was not op-
posed to the bill as it had been
amended.
In his opening address this morning
Mr.. Drew made the statement that
| there were already in California 10000
Japanese, most of whom had belonged
to the Japanese army. who could be
modified at a moments notice in case
of hostilities.
Richard Melrose of Anaheim, who
had gathered statistics in opposition to
the bill, declared there were not more
than $4,000 japanese in California, and
he quoted from statistics compiled by
the Asiatic Exclusion league to the
effect that there were not more than
! Seventy-five Japanese property owners
in the state.
/ Mr.. MelrOSe, who spoke for Governor
Gillett, Speaker Stanton and leaders in
both branches of the legislature coun-
seled delay in order to allow the state
/ lc1DOI COUllIlSSlOll6T W Jake d CELSIUS OIL
| the Japanese.
Mr.. Stanton introduced recently, at
the instance o fthe governor, a bill ap-
| propriating $4,000 for such canvass.
and as soon as the other anti-Japanese
measures are disposed Of this bill will
be rushed to passage and the labor bu-
reau will begin it's task.
The object is to obtain all the sta
/ tistics possible, to be submitted in the
/ form of 1~prnrf at fho
| Before adjournment tonight Assem-
! blyman Johnson asked that his bills
/ be taken up the first thing in the morn.
! ing, limiting debate to thirty minutes
! on each side. This was granted by the
/ house.
Letter from President
| Mr.. Drew, with the permission OF
! President Roosevelt, made public to-
night the following letter:
THE WHITE HOUSE, Washington
| D. c., Jan. 27.-My Dear Mr.. Drew: /
! thank you for your frank and manly
! letter. 1 inclose you a copy Of a letter
I have just sent to the governor. Don't
! you think that you can reach the goal
! for which you are striving and yet
comply with Secretary Roots opinion ?
1t seems to me you can. 1t would be a
! pleasure to me to see you here if you
were able to come to Washington. Sin
! cerely yours,
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Addresses b. MeIrose
! In the course of the debate Mr.. Mel
rose said he did not think lit possible
| that there were $4,000 japanese in the
| state and he advised that the COVER
nor's suggestion to give the labor
commissioner power to take a census
should be acted upon before passing
any of the bills.
He also said statistics compiled by
the Asiatic Exclusion league showed
that there were not more than seventy
| five Japanese land owners in Califor-
mia.