The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-05-17
WILL SIGN ANT|-AuEN BILL.
CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR EN-
PLAINS REASON TO BRYAN.
President Wilson Had Requested Gov
ernOr to Delay Action or TO Veto
Message-Is Local Problem And
Bill In Needed For Protection OF
State Says JOhnsOn-The Two Sides
of The Question.


pressing his determination to sign the
alien land bill recently passed by the
Legislature, Gov. Hiram w. Johnson
of California today telegraphed to sec
retary Bryan of the state department
a long explanation of the action taken
by the legislature. The message was
in answer to the request telegraphed
to the governor by Secretary Bryan
at the direction Of President Wilson
that the bill be vetoed.
The governors message follows:
Hon. William j. Bryan,
Secretary of State,
Washington, d. c.
Your very courteous telegram re-
lating to the alien land bill reached
me late Sunday night. j take it from
our conversations and your request
made to me to withhold executive ac-
tion until opportunity was accorded
for presentations from the federal
government, that your message en-
bodies what 1t was your wish and the
wish OF the president to say to us.
before final action.
In this response it is my desire
most respectfully to present the sit
uation from our standpoint and the
views that actuated our legislature
i'm passing the bill and that impel me
to sanction IL.
For many years q very grave prob
lem, little understood in the East
confronted California. a problem the
seriousness of which has been recog-
nized by statesmen in our nation and
has been viewed with apprehension by
the people of this State. When the
present constitution OF California was
adopted more than 80 years ago, II
contained the following declaration:
The presence Of foreigners Ineligible
to become citizens of the United
states Is declared to be dangerous to
the well being Of the State and the
legislature shall discourage their inn
migration by all means within it's
power
"Of late years our problem from
another angle las become acute and
the agitation has been continuous in
the last decade in reference to our
agricultural lands, until finally af-
firmat.ve action in an attempted so.
luton became imperative. This at
tempted solution is found in the ac-
tion Of our legislature in the proposed
alien land bill. In the phraseology
OF this bill. in those whom it affects
in its scope and in its purpose, we
believe We are within our legal and
our moral rights and that we are do
ing only what is imperative demand
ed Tor the protection and preservation
OF our State. In the enactment we have
Kept ever in mind our national good
faith as evidenced by existing treaties;
and our desire and anxiety have been
to act only in such fashion as would
commend us to our fellow country
men.
The objections to our bill are
based, first upon the treaty obliga-
tions OF the nation, and secondly,
upon the assertion that our act is Of
fensive and discriminatory. The pro-
test to our measure, as your telegram
states. comes from the representative
OF Japan. The bill that is now before
me provides substantially in its first
section that all aliens eligible to citi-
under the laws of the United
states may acquire real property in
the same manner as citizens OF the
United States and the second section
provides that all aliens other than
those mentioned in the first section
may acquire real property in the man
ner and to the extent and for the
purpose prescribed by any treaty now
existing between the government Of
me United States and the nation or
the United States and the nation or
of which such aliens are citi-
zens or subjects and may. i'm addition
lease for n period of three years lands
Tor agricultural purpose.
Thus we have made existing treat
les part Of our law and thus we have
preserved every right that any for
rign nation by international contract
mas insisted upon preserving with our
national government
The treaty of 1911 with Japan,
In reference to the citizens and sub
lects OF each country. provides that
they shall have liberty to own, or
lease, or occupy houses. manuIac-
tories. warehouses and shops: to en-
pIoy agents OF their choice, to lease