The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1909-02-12

Measures introduced at Previous Ses.
sion withdrawn at Mr.. Roosevelts
Request, He Promising to Negotiate
Treaty With Japan to Restrict
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS of Bills
Brings Protest From Japan.
Sacramento, Cal, Feb. 1.-THE
antiJapanese measure just defeated
in the California legislature has been
the sensation of two legislatures. It
was first introduced at the session
two years ago by Grove l.. Johnson of
Sacramento, ex-congressman from
this district and member of the state
lawmaking body for years. 1t was
framed at the request of the San
Francisco board of education after the
latter had passed resolution barring
Japanese children from the schools
attended by white scholars and as
signing them to the Institutions at
tended by Chinese. Tho law specified
that Mongolians and Indians should
be segregated and the boards action
was based ON the contention that the
Japanese belonged to the Monaghan
race. This the Japanese denied as
strenuously. The mikado's govern
mcnt protested to President Roosevelt
and the members of the school board,
headed by the then mayor, Eugene h.
Schmitz, were summoned to confer
ence at Washington by the chief ex-
ecutive of the nation. The president
sent an urgent message to the gov
ernor and the legislature of this state
asking that the bill be withdrawn, at
least for the period of two years, as
arpring them that in the meantime a
treaty would be negotiated with Ja-
pan to do all in its power to restrict
Japanese immigration and alleviate
the conditions protested against by
the japanese and Kofean Exclusion
league of California, as well as nu-
merous labor troubles.
Assemblyman Johnson, when he
presented ii again on the first day Of
the presentation of bills at this ses-
sion, stated that he had done so with
out prompting by the Asiatic Exclu-
sion league or any other organization.
Japanese Again Protest.
Sc soon as the Japanese heard the
news of the revival of the bill Japan
made representations to Washington
that it would, If passed, violate the
treaty rights of that ration and after
a consultation with Secretary of State
Root the president wired Governor
Gillett, urging that action be delayed
again. But it was not over the school
bill that the federal authorities
seemed to be concerned. They did
not believe at that time that 1t would
be passed. The president specifically
mentioned as obnoxious a measure in
troduced by A. M. Drew of Fresno,
prohibiting the ownership Of lands by
aliens. As Japanese are not permit
ted to become citizens they consid-
cially at them. Governor Gillett sent
a message to the legislature asking
that the land bill be killed and this
was done. But later when the school
bill, which had been quietly reported
out fayorably by the committee to
which it was referred, was called up
for final passage it was adopted by a
vote of 48 to 28.
The president was astounded by
the news and at once wired Governor
Gillett that this was "the most offen-
sive bill of ALL
Walter Leeds of Los Angeles had
given notice that he would move to
reconsider the vote by which the
measure passed and the governor sent
another message urging the assembly
to reconsider and kill 1t.
This precipitated battle that cul-
minated in a victory fowthe president.