Arizona republican., 1911-01-20
The Inquiry Is Pertinent.
To The Republican,
Phoenix, Ariz.

Phoenix, AriZ
In the Daily Republican of the 18th
inst, 4th column, LIST page. / notice
a small press dispatch dated at Olvm-
pia, Wash, Spokane In Conflict. -
which says that Secretary Knox had
notified Governor Hay that a recent
ordinance passed by the council of
Spokane fOrbidding the employment
OF aliens on public works was a vio-
lation of the treaty between the Uni
ted States and Italy. The same dis
patch also appeared in the Arizona
Democrat of the same date
Please read what Secretary Knox
says and then turn to and read Sec
ton 10. Art. XVIII of the proposed
constitution of Arizona Might not
this be a sufficient cause for the re-
lection of our constitution at Wash
ington?
"A READER"
Parker. Ariz., Jan. IS.
The section of the proposed consti-
tuition to which the correspondent
refers is as follows. under the head
Of the article on Labor:
Sec 10 No person not a citizen
or ward of the United States. or who
has not declared his intention to be-
come a citizen, shall be employed up
on, or in connection with. any State
county. or municipal works or, en-
ployment; Provided, that nothing
herein shall be construed to prevent
the working of prisoners by the State.
or by any municipality thereof, on
street or road work, or other pubic
work. The Legislature shall enact
laws for the enforcement. AMI shall
provide for the punishment of any
violation. of this section"
In replying t. tire correspondent
the foregoing section might not Of
necessity prove a bar to the appro-
val of the constitU ton. IL the con-
stitution were approved that section,
if in violation of a treaty. would
be of no effect. though it could prove
a cause of great national embarrass-
ment.
In another consideration of the mat
ter. however, il might be fatal. 1t
will be recalled that a few years ago
NNlC blllS III NilE
California legislature. relating to the
segregation Of Japanese and other
Oriental pupils in the schools of that
state. There were other bills cal
culated TO affect the property rights
of Orientals and all of them were
claimed by the Japanese government
10 be violative of its treaty with this
country That claim was allowed by
Washington which found itself greatly
embarrassed.
President RoOseV,r brought all his
powerful influence TO bear upon the
governor and legislature of California
A delegation of Californians. headed
by Mayor Schmitz of San Francisco
visited Washington and after many
an agreement was reached
by which the dreaded legislation was
shelved.
If we are not mistaken, Senator
Grove Johnson. the father Of the
present governor of California. was
the most obstinate supporter of those
bills.
In the light of the trying exper-
fence at that time. when talk of war
with Japan was rampant. when the
tone Of japanese newspapers and the I,
leaders of one Japanese party was dis |
tinctly hostile. it is not unreasonable !
to suppose that the administration at
and the congress might !
hesitate to lend the approval OF the
United States government to a provis-
ion i'm our fundamental law after hav-
ing fought so strenuously to keep one
Of the same treaty violating character
out of the California statutes
The federal government itself. by its
approval. would thus become party
10 the violation of a sacred treaty.