The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-02-10
AN1|-AL|EN BILL IS KILLED.
CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY REJECTS
AMENDED MEASURE.
While the Bill was Altered so as to
Suit President Roosevelt, the Mem
bers Feared that Is Would Injure
the State and Voted IL Down, 4S to
2S.

sacramento, Cal, Feb. 3.-After a
debate extending from II o'clock this
morning until p. NJ, the Assembly
by a vote OF As to 2S rejected the bill
drawn by A. M. Drew barring aliens
from ownership of land in California
The bill had been amended at the re-
quest of President Roosevelt and Sec
retary Root, so that the clause apply
ing 1t to Japanese only was eliminat-
ed making the bill apply to all aliens,
but the measure aroused such a
storm of opposition that long before
the debate was closed by Mr.. Drew it
was apparent that the measure
would be defeated
The result of today's contest Is con-
sidered a fair test of the relative
strength of the two factions in the AS
sembly, and as foreshadowing the de-
feat Of all measures that will tend to
embarrass the National Government
in its relation with Japan.
The supporters of the bill contend
ed that the State was being overrun
by thrifty Japanese who were gradu-
ally gaining an impregnable position
ashland owners, and whose Govern
ment was trying to dictate to Califor-
mia regarding legislation.
Two sensational speeches were
made, one for and one against the
measure. Assemblyman Grove l..
Johnson, of Sacramento, Ex-Congress-
man and tho author of the four bills
segregat.ng Japanese in schools and
residential districts and preventing
aliens being members of corporations,
made an impassioned appeal for the
enactment of the Drew bill. At the
climax of the speech he walked back
ward from his seat to the lobby hall,
and seizing in his arms golden hair
ed girl of three. held her aloft and
declared that he was "in favor Of
this as opposed to the Japanese men,
ace to institutions"
Nathan G. Cole, Of San Francisco.
who was elected with the endorse
ment of the Union Labor party, op-
posed the Drew bill on the ground
that Il was In conflict with the State
constitution, that it was inimical to
Union labor and that 1t was not fav-
ored by the national administration,
which he said. was dealing with
delicate problem and should be sup
ported by the people of California.
Dramatically confronting Assem-
blyman Drew he said:
IF President Roosevelt should
throw open the doors of this assem-
bly, chamber, and laying his hand on
your shoulder, should request for rea-
sons Of state that you withdraw this
bill, you. Mr.. Drew, as patriotic citi-
zen Of the United States, would as
sent without a murmur."
In reply, Mr.. Drew, closing his
argument for the bill, declared that
he had received letter from the
president, in which the president
stated he was not opposed to the bill
as 1t had been amended at his re-
quest.
In his opening remarks, Mr.. Drew
said that already there were in Cali
fornia 10000 japanese, most of whom
had belonged to. the Japanese army,
who could be mobilized at a moments
notice In case OF hostilities.
Richard Melrose, of Anaheim, who
had gathered statistics in opposition
to the BILL declared that there were
not more than $4,000 Japanese in
California. He quoted from statistics
compiled by the Asiatic Exclusion
League to the effect that there were
not more than seventy-flve Japanese
property owners in the State.