The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-02-08
SENSIBLE VIEW
OF HEWLANOS
Nevada Senator Points Out the
Danger of Allowing Unre-
Stricted immigration.
NATIONAL ACTION NEEDED
QUESTION is NOT ONE FOR DIP
LoMATIc NEGOTIATION.

Washington, Feb. 7.-Senator New
| lands of Nevada. in a statement to-
night, asserted that there should be
broad national legislation covering the
whole japanese question.
'eThe legislation proposed by the Pa
cific coast states intended to meet GER
tain phases of what constitutes a ma
tionai peril has been opposed by the
president as involving violation of our
treaty with Japan and importing her
friendship said Senator Newlands.
whilst the western states will i'm all
probability periodically conclude to kill
such legislation. there is danger that
their abandonment of such legislation
may be misunderstood by the eastern
states, whose people are unfamiliar
with the economic and social dangers
attendant upon Asiatic immigration and
that they may think that we acquiesce
In the view that a great question of
national and domestic policy should be
turned over TO the negotiation of diplo
mats. No question involving such i'm
portant considerations as race homo
geneity and democratic Industrial peace
can safely be turned over to diplomacy.
Legislation Necessary.
There should be broad national leg
islation covering the whole question.
and thus necessarily covering the parts
of the question which state legislation
in the west seems to cover"
Continuing. the senator stated that
the Nevada legislature should. in his
Judgment, as a substitute for all pend
ing measures, adopt resolutions max
ing the following declarations:
That the race question is now the
most important question confronting
the nation: that already we have drift
ed regarding the black race into a con-
dition which seriously suggests the
withdrawal of the political rights here
tofore mistakenly granted: the inaugu-
ration of a humane national policy
which. with the cooperation and the
aid of the southern states, should rec
ognize that the blacks are a race of
children requiring guidance, industrial
training and the development of self
control, and other measures intended
TO reduce the danger of the race COM
plications formerly sectional but now
becoming national.
Influx From Both Sides.
THAT confronting us on the Attain
tic is Europe. with a total population OF
500. 600 white people whose surplus
seeks outlet on our soil: that we have
found it difficult to assimilate even the
white race from that continent, and
have been obliged by law to carefully
restrict such immigration.
THAT the yellow and brown races, if
unrestricted, would overwhelmingly en-
igrate to our country of unlimited re-
sources and of almost unlimited abii-
ity TO support additional population;
that pre-eminent among these people
stands Japan, strong. aggressive, high
spirited, qualities which the American
people admire but which, If given play
on American soil would develop the
strongest form of race antagonism.
THAT history teaches that il is i'm
possible to develop a homogeneous peo-
pie by the juxtaposition of races diff
fering in color upon the same soil; that
under such conditions race tolerance
means an undesirable race amalgama-
ton. and that race intolerance means
ultimately race war or the reduction of
one race to seTvitude.
Duty Of Congress.
That. therefore. our duty to our race
and our institutions and the mainte-
nance of friendship with races differing
in color alike demand that we abandon
the attempted adjustment of these
questions by International treaty and
pass a national law to take effect upon
the expiration Of existing treaties en-
phatically declaring that our country is
open to white immigration alone: that
such immigration shall be restricted to
those of constitution, character and
training that will ultimately fit them
for American citizenship, and that 9TH
er races shall be excluded from immi-
grafton except for purpose of travel and
education
Senator Newlsnds added that digni-
fled legislative action of this kind could
not be made the ground of offense by
any nation affected: that Japan her
self would be the first to take similar
action were the integrity of her race
and her institutions threatened: that
the United States had always been
friendly to Japan in her struggle to
maintain and protect her territorial and
race integrity. and that such action was
entirely consistent with absolute friend