Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1913-05-21
JOHNSON WILL SIGN MEASURE.
TeIegraphs Quite Lengthy Explanation 0
His Action to Bryan.

tGlGsiaphS Quite lGn6thJ IAPiauatiuh Y
His Action to Bryan.
Sacramento, CAL, May 14.-Ex
pressing his determination to sigr
the alien land bill recently passec
by she Legislature, Gov. Hiram
W. johnson of California today
telegraphed to Secretary of State
Bryan a long explanation of the
action taken by the Legislature
The message was in answer to the
request telegraphed to the Gov
ernor by Secretary Bryan at the
direction of President Wilson that
the bill be vetoed.
The Governors message fol-
lows:
Hon. William J. Bryan, Secre'
tary of State,
"Washlngton, D. G.
"Your very counteous telegram
relating to the alien land bill
reached me late Sunday night.
take it from our conversations
and your request made to with
hold Executive action until oppor.
tunity was accorded for the pre-
sentations from the Federal Gov.
ernment, that your message en-.
bodies that it was your wish and
the wish of the President to say
to US before final action.
"In this response it is my de-
sign most respectfully to present
the situation from our standpoint
and the views that actuated our
Legislature in passing the bill and
that impel me to sanction it
tFor many years . very grave
problem, little understood in the
East, has confronted California :;
q problem the seriousness of
which has been recognized by
statesmen in our Nation and has
been viewed with apprehension by
the people of this State. When
the present Constitution of Call
fornia was adopted more than 30
years ago. it contained the follow
ing declaration:
THE presence of foreigners
ineligible to become citizens of
the United States is declared 60
be dangerous to the wsll.being of
the State and the Legislature shall
discourage their immigration by
all means within its power
"Of late years our problem
from another angle has become
acute and the agitation has been
continuous in the past decade in
reference to our agricultural lands,
until finally affirmative action in
an attempted solution became
imperative. This attempted 30.
luton is found in the action of
our Legisluturein the passage of an
alien land bill. In the phraseolo-
gy this bill, in those whom it af-
fects, its scope and its purpose,
we believe we have kept within
our legal and our moral rights
and that we are doing only what
is demanded for the protection
and preservation of our State.
In this enactment we have kept
ever in mind our National good
faith as evidenced by existing
treaties and anxiety has been to
act in such fashion as would com.
mend US to our sister States and
would justify us to our fellow
countrymen.
Chased, first, upon the asser-
tion that our act is often sive and
discriminatory. The protest to
our measure as your telegram
states, comes from the representa-
tive of Japan. The bill that is
now before me provides substan-
TALLY in its first section that al
lens eligible to citizenship under
the laws of the United States may
acquire real property in the same
manner as citezens of the United
States and the second section pro.
vides that all aliens other than
those mentioned in the first Sec
tion may acquire real property in
the manner of and to the extent
and for the purpose prescribed by
any treaty now existing between
this Government and the United
States and the Nation or country
of which such aliens are citizsns
may in addition lease for period
of khroo vooro 1opdn for orr;oo1