Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-05-30

today alone. 1t is for generations to
come. il is not Ja.auese question
alone. II is a Chinese question, a
Hindu question, q Korean question, d
Syrian and Armenian question. II Is
not matter OF the United SJa,as
alone. 1t is a Canadian question a
South African question, a New I,0-
land question,
1t is a world question. 1t IS a prob
aem for all lime.
II 10 the local oUtcropping Of tn
.o,-eotes' of 'coyld problemS-thc ridd!c
81 tn z.cTmingI,ng Of races.
II cannot be settled on the narrow
basis of any treaty with Japan. nor on
the local basis of opinion in California,
nor the feelings of the people of All
fhe states on the Pacific Coast.
1t ought not to be adjusted by the
people of the United States in ignor-
ance, nor prejudice, nro with refer
ence To political platforms, nor the
demand for cheap labor.
1t cannot be lightly sighted off. Il
is an iirepressible struggle 1t viii
persist for ages. Its complexities and
its menace are bound to become near
er and more menacing as every inven-
tion in transportation and every ad-
vance in commerce brings white men
and brown men and yellow men into
closer and closer contact with each
other
There are certain principles of right
and wrong which enter into it. They
must be studied. They should be can
vassed in Washington, Tokyo, Picking,
Calcutta, Delhi, Melbourne, Sydney,
Cape Town. johannesburg, New York,
London. The final adjustment, if one
can be arrived at, must be made with
reference to these principles of right
and wrong.
The Wrong Way to Approach the
Question.
Let US consider the attitude of Japan
IN the premises. The Japanese are a,
fine and strong people They are very
proud, just as we are very proud. They
have just as much reason to be proud
as we have. They have very ancient
and splendid civilization. They are
Ioets and artists and scientists. They
have fine system of ethics, and some
virtues which they can teach US. In
patriotism, in enterprise, in efficiency.
all along the line Of modern life, they
compare fayorably with all other peo-
pies. They are not inferior to us-let
that be admitted at the outset. So
long as we act with reference to them
ON the theory that they are inferior,
we shall be in the wrong. They think
themselves superior to US. We think
ourselves superior to them. That is
the natural attitude of the mass Of the
people of every land. But in the last
analysis the Japanese will be entitled
no the verdict that they are just as
seble. just as efficient, and just as good
as we are.
The Necessity for Homogeneity in a
Democracy.
What reason can we find then, for
making laws which will tend to keep
the Japanese out? Let us see what
cur destiny IS and how it must be
worked out, determine what our prob.
lens are and see what effect the in
coming Of the Orientals would have
on our affairs:
We OF the great Caucasian nations.
especially the English speaking ma.
sjons, here unreservedly committed
oHrscIves to the theory OF democracy.
We are more and more accepting DEM
Ocracy as the natural order Of things.
We have very dreadful problems to
work out through the instrument of
the ballot. The ballot rests ON equal
ity Of rights, of more or less common
views and common interests among
the people. Voting is species of con-
ference. Minds meet and settle ques-
tions in elections no less than in town
meetings. -
A democracy is q people who reason
together and express their decisions
BY their votes. If they do not speak
the same language, If there exists u
great body of matters on which they
cannot come to mutual understand
ang, II the mental gap between great
factions is too great to be bridged, if
for any reason there exists any irrec-
Oncilable antagonism among them, If
great bodies of them are in economic
warfare. the democracy cannot exist
That is why we are already in such
deep difficulties with our democracy.
We have many antagonistic classes.
We have trying times ahead. 1t is
sure to be hard for us to weather the
storms which these problems will gen
crate. The labor question, the trust
question, the growing problem of farm