Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-08
SAYS JAPANESE
MENACE NATION
WILLIAM TEMPLE WRITES OF
BROWN PERIL"
TALK OF WAR ABSURD IN HIS
OPINION
Son of Pioneer Los Angeles Banker
Gives His Views on Problem
That Is Agitating
California

RAODAOAA A1Acill lllclb VI IS0IIlCLlIlS lllS
/ Japanese confronts California, William
! Temple of Ell Monte has written ar
! exhaustive article in which he deals
} with the "brOwn peril" He asserts the
! problem is one that menaceS the peace
f, institutions, civilization and the in
| dividual and political rights of the
American people.
been a resident of Southern California
His uncle, John Temple, arrived in
| California in 1926, and his father, the
| late F. P. f. Temple, was the pioneer
banker Of Los Angeles, coming here
from Boston in 1841.
William Temple has made a con-
| scientious study of the japanese prob
| lem, and his conclusions are contained
in the following paragraphs:
BY WILLIAM TEMPLE
The impression is being made by
| certain papers that this Japanese
trouble in California is the result OF
the vaporings of the union and labor
parties; that it is merely a local affair;
that these people are utterly harmless
and that this is a small matter greatly
exaggerated.
| Nothing more false or misleading
No more stupendous and important
| problem has arisen on the Pacific
coast and in this country; a problem
| which menaces our peace, institutions,
! civilization and our individual and po-
! litical rights.
I Slowly and persistently, by trick and
connivance, in the face of our most
strenuous protest, are these people
thrusting themselves upon us. We do
not want them here. They are covert
| ly encouraged by the railroad COM
panies, who employ them, and by big
ranchers and horticulturists because
| they are cheap and can be easily han
died. Every one of these coolies rep
! reSents a good American citizen out OF
a job. They are possessing the whole
| land; they are absorbing all our indus
| tries. We are unable to compete with
| them, and under misguided and un-
enlightened federal policy are being
encouraged to further action. We hold
up our hands in protest, we explain,
we try to harmoniZe, but the big stick
is held UP against US, and we are cow
ardly enough to submit. 1t is true that
a good cause should not be jeopardized
by erratic and unreasonable laws on
the part Of our state legislature, which
will damage our case and place us be-
fore the world in the category of self
ish cranks and unreasonable oppres-
SOrS.
Reasonable Laws
But reasonable laws would be prop
in violation of our constitutional and
vested rights in passing law for good
cause Segregating the Jap or other
Asiatics in our public schools, or in
passing a law locating the habitation
OF the Jap coolie in our towns and
cities, but a law prohibiting aliens
from holding lands in our state is sui
cidal and ill-advised. This proposed
census measure to enumerate the Japs
in California is a mere delusion and
will prove of no avail. On the day
when the census marShalS shall turn
out to take the Enumeration three
fourths of these people will take to the
brush and will quietly return after the
thing is over. The paper enumeration
will be meager, but the woods will be
full of them notwithstanding. The
matter of a few Japs more or less is
not the question. This, is a mere side
play The actual question is: What
proper steps will the federal govern
ment take to keep them out of here?
A proper law would be one compelling
public service corporations, manufac-
turing and mining companies, horticul-
turiSts, rancherS, etc., to hire American
citizens, say in the proportion of five
Americans to one alien, or some such
reasonable proportion. In this way
we protect our working men and wom-
en-, secure a proper rate of wages and
do away with the many corrupt prac-
tees now existing. in the matter of
the employment of Asiatic coolies. We
have no objection to a Japanese mer-
chant traveller, banker, student or Of
fetal landing on our shores. If he
comes here in good faith and is what
he represents himself to be, we well
come him, respect and protect him.
But we draw a line on the ooolie.
He must be kept out at all hazards,
=.
matter whose policy is apt to change
at any time, but by such exclusive acts
and measures as the American people
in their sovereign and undisputed right
may think proper to enact for their
benefit and protection.
Rights of State
AS a sovereign commonwealth the
state of California has a right TO
pass upon its local public school sys-
TEN, to regulate the same; and in other
respects to initiate such a policy
against the Japanese as our knowledge
of them and our requirements may de-
mand. We do not want to embroil the
nation, we want to act in harmony with
congress; we are no calamity howlers;
our interests are our country's; we
desire peace; but we object to the mis-
taken, ill-advised and misguided policy
Of the big stick. The Sandwich islands
are an object lesson to us; Australia,
New Zealand, Canada and South Af-
rica do not want them, and must we
to please somebody open our doors?
Must we be forced to become a Jap
anese colony? Must we allow a for
eign power to dictate to US who shall
land on our shores? Will we be sac
riiced to the greed and rapacity of
eastern commercialism? Will we be-
come a nation of nondescripts? Have
we not already enough race questions
within our doors? Will you permit
your daughter to marry a Jap coolie q?
Do you want him for citizen? What
would you think of a Jap governor or
a supreme court judge?
War Talk Nonsense
These things will surely happen if
we remain inactive, and absorb the
heresies of that most unfortunate presi-
Dental deliveranCe to congress during
the San Francisco school troubles. This
war talk is all nonsense; it scares no
one. and if war is wanted, let us have
it; for a loyal Californian would
rather die any day than be reduced to
slavery and pauperism; or submit TO
the sinister social, economic and politi-
cal consequences which may follow this
unfortunate Japanese invasion. The
modus vivendi with Japan is wrong
in principle and failure, for we are
at the mercy of foreign power whose
sincerity may be doubted and whose
policy may change at any time.
A treaty would be Objectionable. as
Japan would not agree to the exclusion
of her coolies. The solution of this urt-
desirable problem now and for all time
will be for congress without delay, ana
in the exercise of its proper powers. 20
grant us favorable exclusion act not