The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-04-29
BRYAN'S MESSAGE
TO CALIFORNIANS
State May Exact Rigid Law But 1t
Will be Against Wilson'S Wishes
COURSES Suggested.

Cal1fOrnla In the fullneSS or her
right as a state may enact a rigid
land law barring Orientals from
ownership, but such action would be
against the earnest wish Of the ma
tional administration.
This is the substance of the mes
sage William Jennings Bryan, sec
retary of state, and personal repre-
sentative of President Wilson de-
livered today to secret conference
attended only by Governor John on,
Lieutenant Governor Wallace and
the 100 members of the Califori la
legislature.
Secretary Bryan arrived in Sacra-
mento at O'Clock this morning.
With his consent, plans were laiG
for an immediate hearing and short
ly after IL O'Clock the first session
of the conference began. Until the
doors Of the assembly chamber were
closed and locked Secretary Bryan
refused to give an inkling of his
message to any one and even at the
conference he spoke only after leg
islators had explained fully the pub
lie demand for alien land legislation
that. brought about the present sit
uation.
Secretary Bryan reaffrmed the
states right to act in a manner it
odW III, DuI SuSSeSlSu several al
,ternatives to the passage of bill
{ restricting aliens ineligible to citi-
.,senship" basing his reasons on the
broad foundation of public policy.
Briefly, these alternatives in the or
der In which they were suggested
are as follows:
1. Delay immediate action and al
low the state department to try to
accomplish the ends desired by
means Of a new treaty with Japan
2. Delay immediate action and
appoint a commission to investigate
the subject of alien land ownership
and act in conjunction with the
President in securing relief.
8. Enact law similar to the
statute in Illinois, which permits
aliens to hold land for a period not
exceeding six years and applies alike
to all aliens.
A. Enact law similar to the
federal statute governing land
ownership in the District of Column
bia, which is a general law applying
to all aliens.
The conference with Secretary
Bryan served to show the breadth
of sentiment in favor of an alien
>Ed law that shall be effective In
.CjcKing the Japanese and Chinese
migration. A dozen or more SEN
ators and assemblymen declared the
people of the state we're almost
unit in demanding such a law, and
= was threatened that unless the
legislature act at this time, the mat
ter would be taken up through the
initiative and passed by the people
themselves.
CONFERENCE OPENS.
tenant Governor Wallace and Secre-
tary Bryan seated with Governor
johnson and Speaker Young of the
assembly, on the platform. Secretary
Bryan was introduced and in a brief
statement asked the conference to
tell him the exact situation.
Il was sent to Sacramento at the
request Of President Wilson, said
Mr.. Bryan, to consult with the gov
ernor and the members of the legis-
lature on the pending alien land
legislation. i am more interested in
the methods to be employed than in
the end to be attained and / would
be pleased to hear suggestions from
any of you before speaking further"
Senator Boynton thanked Mr.
Bryan on behalf of the legislature
for his visit. He then outlined the
situation for the visitor, saying in
part:
"At the time President Wilson 8
telegram was received last week an
nouncing the wish TO send Secretary
Bryan to confer with this legisla-
ture, there were two bills on this
subject before the senate.
1T was apparent that the people
of the state were strongly in favor
of the enactment of an alien land
law and such probably would have
been passed before this time if il
had not been for the telegram from
the President. At HE request we
postponed further consiS Grafton OF
the matter until Mr.. Bryan could
present his views"
After several others had spoken
many Of them quoting statistics TO
show the increase in land holdings
by Japanese in recent years, Secre-
tary Bryan arose. His first state
ment was concerning the secret con
ference, which he said he had ia
ed. With the support OF Cover
Hr Johnson and the presiding off,
~ both houses, Mr.. Bryan said
Nsdd speak with more frankness
rS-7e members than he could to "a
promiscuous audience"
GAS the representative OF the
President" he began, II feel keenly
the responsibility that is placed up
on me. / would have preferred TO
have him come himself, as the head
of the nation, but that seemed i'm
possible and he delegated me 10
speak for him. / do not pretend TO
do other than express his views. /
s]m simply his spokesman aud I will
Say to you only that which he would
nave me say.
GAS to the constitutionality nf our