The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-05
7 { | { & R A N
{ ROM WHITE
HOUSE
Exclusion of Japanese Chill
dren From Schools Worst
Bill of All.

Sacramento, Cal. Feb with the
defeat In the lower house today of
two of the anti.Japanese measures,
followed by the unexpected passage
OF third bill segrcgatinG Japanese
school children in separate schools
along with Chinese, Koreans and other
Asiatics, regarded as the most often
sive measure of all, President Roose-
welt again has taken hand In the
anti-Japanese legislation In the state
legislature, which for the last week
California. Hardly had the bill been
passed by the assembly before Cover
nor Gillett received the following mes
sage from the president:
Washington. February 4, 1909.
u. y. Gillett. Governor of California:
Your kind letter just received.
What Is the rumor that the California
legislature has passed bill excluding
the Japanese children from the public
schools this, the most offensive
bill of all. and in my judgment is
clearly uncons stitutional and we should
at once have to test 1t in the courts.
Can 1t be stopped in the Legislature,
or by veto?
(Signed)
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
Governor Gillett Immediately wired
a reply to the president and asked for
an answer at once. He refuses to dis
cuss the nature Of the message to
IUo otoy hnt mill p,oGo oil tha cor.
respondence by wire public upon the
receipts Of the presidents next tele-
gram, II possible
The bill passed today. which was
one of three anti-Japanese measures,
introduced by Assemblymen Grove l..
johnson. places the Japanese in the
same classification with other Asiatics
and inserts the word japanese" In
the present state statute, providing
for the segregation In separate schools
OF "Mongolian' children. BY this ac-
tion the lower house of the California
legislature has taken the step which
the board of education of San Fran
cisco intended to take two years ago,
but which was abandoned after the
board and Former Mayor Eugene E.
Schmitz, were called to Washington
and had several conferences with
President Roosevelt.
At that time 1t was contended by the
Japanese that they were not "Mongo-
lians," who resented the efforts to
place them In the same class with the
Chinese. Koreans and other Asiatic
races and the question was also raised
whether. under the state statute the
segregation Of Japanese school chill
dren could be enforced in the absence
OF specific mention of the word Jap
anese." Upon the return from Wash
ington, the San Francisco school board
at that time contented itself with the
adoption of rule limiting the age of
pupils that would be permitted to ut.
tend the lower grades OF the public
schools. one of the principal objections
to the Japanese being that adults
were attending the primary grades
and in daily association with white
children of tender years.
Unexpected and a surprise was the
subject of the Japanese school segre-
CATION bill. After the defeat yester-
day of Drew's anti-alien land bill:
which was generally believed to fore
shadow the rejection of all the meas
ures aimed at the Japanese, followed
by the defeat today of two more anti
japanese bills, the result of the vote
on the school segregation question was
entirely unlocked for. Immediately
upon the learning of the assembly'S
action, Governor Gillett called into
consultation Speaker Stanton and the
Republican leaders of both houses OF
the legislature. The latter expressed
the hope of still being able TO defeat
the measure in the assembly upon re-
consideration, and 1t was with this In
view that Assemblyman Walter Leeds
OF Los Angeles. after roll call, changed
his vote from no to yes. and gave no
tice that tomorrow he would give no.
tice to reconsider the vote of rs to 26.
by which the bill was passed. 1t will
require Al votes to carry Leeds mo-
tion In the event that it Is adopted,
1t is freely predicted tonight that one
OF the fiercest battles ever waged in
the California legislature will result
In the effort to kill the bill
The assembly debated all day on the
three anti-Japanese bills. The first
one taken up preventing aliens from
being members of boards OF directors,
was beaten easily, the vote standing
54 to Is. The next. providing for the
segregation In residential districts of
all undesirable aliens. resulted In q
tie yote-37 to 37-the measure being
defeated by being four votes short Of
majority. Johnson of Sacramento,
It's author, changed his vote from aye
to no. In order that he might give
notice OF reconsideration.
Following Is the full text of the
school bill.
Section 1-Section 1862 OF the polit.
ical code Is hereby amended so as to
read as follow:
"1662-Eyery school, unless other
wise provided by law. must be open
for the admission of all children be-
tween 6 and II years Of age. residing
In the district. and the board OF school
trustees or city board of education
have power to admit adults and chill.
dren not residing in the district. when
ever good reason exist therefor. Trus-
tees shall have the power to exclude
children CT filthy or vicious habits, or
children suffering from contagious or
infectious diseases and also to estab-
ilsh separate schools for Indian chill.
dren and for children of Mongolian or
Japanese or Chinese descent. When
such separate schools are established.
Indian, Chinese, Japanese or Mongo-
Han children must not be admitted
Into any other school; provided, that
In cities and towns In which the kin.
dergarten has been adopted or may
hereafter be adopted as part of the
public primary schools, children may
be admitted to such kindergarten