The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-04

Sacramento. Feb. 3-After debate
extending from IL o'clock this morning
until D. M, the assembly rejected
aliens from ownership OF land In Calf
had been amended at the request of
President Roosevelt and Secretary
Root so that the clause applying 1t to
Japanese only was eliminated. making
II apply to- all aliens. but the measure
aroused such a storm of opposition
that long before the debate was closed
by Mr.. Drew. II was apparent that the
measure would be defeated. In sub
stance, 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 Japanese.
The other side declared that the
state was being over-run by thrifty
Japanese who were gradually gaining
an impregnable position as land own
ers and whose government was trying
to dictate to California regarding leg
islation
Two sensational speeches were
made. one for and one against the
measure. Assemblyman Grove l..
Johnson OF Sacramento. ex-congress-
man and author of four bills segregat-
ing Japanese In schools and residential
districts and preventing aliens being
members OF corporations. male an
impassloned appeal for theh enactment
of the Drew bill. At his climax, he
walked backward. from his seat to the
lobby rail, and, selling in his arms a
golden haired girl Of three. held her
aloft and declared that he was lin
favor of this" as opposed to "the jap
ancse menace to our institution
Nathan c. Coglan Of San Francisco.
who was elected with the endorsement
OF the Union Labor party, opposed the
Drew bill on the ground that 1T was
In conflict with the state constitution
so that 1t was inimical to union labor
and that 1t was not favored by the ma
tional administration, which he said
was dealing with a delicate problem
and should be supported by the people
OF California. Dramatically confront
ing Assemblyman Drew, he said:
"Jf President Roosevelt should sud-
denly throw open the doors Of this as
sembly 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 ac-
cede without a murmur"
This sally was received with great
applause.
In reply. Mr. Drew. closing his ar.
gumept for the bill, declared that he
had received letter from the presl-
dent In which he stated that he was
not opposed to bill as 1t had been
amended at his request. In his open
Ing remarks this forenoon, Drew made
the statement that already there were
in California. 10000 Japanese, most
Of whom had belonged to the Japanese
army who could be mobillzed at a
moments notice in case OF hostilities,
Richard Melrose of Anahelm who
had gathered statistics In opposition
10 the bill, declared there were not
more than $4,000 Japanese In Califor-
MIA. He quoted statistics compiled by
the Asiatic Exclusion league to the
effect that there were not more than
70 Japanese property owners in the
state.
Mr.. Melrose, who spoke for Governor
Gillett, Speaker Stanton and leaders
in both branches of the legislature
counselled delay to enable the state
labor commission to take census of
the Japanese. Mr.. Stanton introduced
recently, at the request OF the COVER
nor. bill appropriating $4,000 for
such canvass and as soon as the 9TH
er antiJapanese measures are dispos-