Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-06
IA STRONG. PLEA
For Reconsideration Of
Anti-Japanese School Bill
Is Made by Governor Gi|Ielt in
Message 10 Legislature.
Nevada Senate Tables Dodge Re.
solution at Friday Session.

| SodCIdulcIlOs L tUs 0.-Spedhti i HiIiip "a
Stanton of the Lower House of the Cali
| forna Legislature took the floor today
and by Il strong personal appeal obtained
| unanimous consent Of the Assembly to
| postpone further action of the japanese
school segregation bill which was passed
yesterday until next Wednesday .He de-
cared he had information, which he
could not reveal, which proved that the
| assembly was trcading upon dangerous
ground in passing the bill.
! On the conclusion OF the speakers
speech Grove l.. johnson, author OF the
measure, asked that the matter of recon-
sideration he put over until Wednesday.
| and his motion carried without dissent.
| Governor Gllett sent IA special message
to the House raising the point of the
bills constitutonality and this was the
subject of q long debate, during which
it suggested by leaders on both sides
| that the measure be referred to the COM
mittee on judiciary and submitted to the
attorney general for an opinion as to its
| legality.
| Both houses adjourned until Monday
morning
| Sacramento. Cal. Feb. "a recon
sideraticn of the Japanese school bill
passed yesterday was asked of the
Legislature today by Governor Gillett
| IN special message in which he re-
Tered to the telegram from President
Roosevelt. The message was in part
| as follows: e
| Within a few hours after The pas
sage OF SAID bill the President OF the
| United states. alarmed at the posi-
| t,f
| such law sent to me q telegram con-
tanning the following language:
| This is the most offensive bill OF
all in my judgment is clearly uncon-
sttutional ana We shall at once have
to test it in the courts Can it not.
ne stopped in the Legislature or by
veto
"A telegram SO forcible as this con-
ing from President of the United
States is entitled to full consideration
and demands that no hasty or III con-
siderod action be taken by this state
which may involve the whole coun-
! try.
| 1T seems to me it is time to Law
sentiment and personal opinion and
other considerations aside ard take
4 broad ana unprecedented view of the
important questions involved i'll the
| proposed legislation and in q calm
and disDassionate manner. pass upon
them, keeping in mind, not only the
itcrests of our state, but of the ma
ton. the duty we owe to it in obsery-
ing the treaties entered into by 1t
with a friendly power
Two years ago tile question now
under consideration engaged the at
|
because of a resolution adopted iv
| the board of education of San Fran
cisco, directing that all Chinese. Ian
anese and Corean children ne sent to
aie oriental public schuois japan mt
once called the attention OF oar gov
crnmert to this resolution. which IL
claimed Disseminated against Its sub
Jects, and was in violation of it's treaty
tights. Our government acuuiesced in
the VIrws expressed by Japan and t..
enforce that nations rights under it's
treaty, commenced an action in The.
circuit court of the United States to
enjoin the school board of San Fran
cisco from carrying out the provisions
of said resolution.
| This action was never tried. biz.
was dismissed on the withdrawal bv
|
| the resolution complained of. Every
one supposed that this vexed question
would De settled. In fact the peop,c
| OF the state had about forgotten if.
and We're no longer paying much at
tention to 1T until the bill under CON
slderation was introduced i'm the AS
sembly. There las been no general
demand for such legislation, there is
no immediate or present danger of our
schools, and no bad influence exists
therein by reason of the attendance
Of any Japanese pupils attending our
public schools and there is no occa
sion at present, at least, for unneces-
Sary alarm 1t is claimed by japan
and admitted by authorities in Wash
lngton that the bill. il passed will ba
III violation OF the treaty existing be-
tweer the two governments" With
out expressing any opinion upon this
subject, the governor calls attention
to the views of Japan, conceded so
far by our government to be correct
and Quotes the treaty provisions
guaranteeing to Japan the rights and
a.JGc of hn