Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-02-17
MAY GO 10 WHITE SCHOOLS.
Fight In California Over Japs Seems
to BE at An End.

Sacramento, CAL, Feb. 1.-THE
anti-Japanese measure, defeated yes
terday in the California Legislature,
has been the sensation of two Legis-
latures.
1t was first introduced at the ses-
sion two years ago by Grove l..
Johnson, of Sacramento, ex-Congress.
man from this district and member
OF the State law-making body for
many years. 1t was framed at the
request of the San Francisco board
OF education after the latter had
passed a resolution barring Japa-
nese children from the schools at
tended by white scholars and as
signing them to the institutions at,
tended by Chinese
The law specified that Mongolians
and Indians should be segregated,
and the boards action was based on
the contention that the Japanese be-
longed to the Mongolian race This
the japanese denied as strenuously.
The Japanese government protested
to President Roosevelt and the MEM
bers Of the school board, headed by
the then mayor, Eugene E. Schmitz,
were summoned to conference at
Washington by President Roosevelt.
The President sent an urgent mes
sage to the Governor and Legislature
of this State asking that the bill be
lo6 10 Of CT fHr fl,n ;D1 <>c
two years, assuring them that in
the meantime a treaty would be
negotiated with Japan to do all in
its power to restrict Japanese immi-
grafton and alleviate the conditions
protested by the Japanese and Ko-
reans' EXclsion League of California,
as we'll as numerous labor leaders.
What Johnson Said.
AssembIyman Johnson, when he
presented it again on the first day
for the presentation of bills at this
session, said that he had done SO
without prompting by the Asiatic Ex-
clusion League or any other organi-
cation.
AS soon as the Japanese heard the
news Of the revival of the bill, Japan
made. representations to Washington
that to pass 1t would violate the
treaty rights Of that nation, and af-
ter a consultation with Secretary of
State Root, the President wired Gov
ernor Gillett, urging that action be
delayed again. But 1t was not over
the school bill Federal authorities
seemed to be concerned. They did
not believe at hat time that it
would pass. The President specifi-
cally mentioned as obnoxious a mea-
sure introduced by A. M. Drew, of
Fresno, preventing the ownership of
lands by aliens. AS Japanese are not
permitted to become citizens, they
considered the bill as a blow aimed
especially at them. Governor Gillett
|sent message to the Legislature ask
ing that the land bill be killed, and
this was done. But later, when the
school bill, which had been quietly
reported favorably by the committee
to which 1t was referred, was called
up for final passage, it was adopted
by a vote Of 48 to 28.
Roosevelt Astounded.
The President was astounded by
the news and at once wired Cover
nor Gillette that this was "the most
offensive bill of ALL" L. Walter
Leeds, Of Los Angeles, had given no.
tice that he would move to recon-
slider the vote, and when the mea-
sure passed the Governor sent ano-
ther message, urging the Assembly
to reconsider and kill 1t.
This precipitated a battle that call
minated in victory for the Presi-
dent.
On a point OF order raised in the
Senate to-day, debate on the message
of Governor Gillett advising that no
anti-alien legislation be adopted at
this session was shut off, and the
subject will probably not be revived.
Senator Marc Antony's bill, sub
mitting the question Of Asiatic i'm
migration to a vote of the people,
| was defeated today by a vote OF %
| to 12.
| Fnlay'c 0ripn I,ayotiva o,,roc onn