The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-04-29
DENOUNCED AT HOME.
CALIFORNIA; Proposed Law on Land own
ershp Developing a bareback.

| The alien land bill now in course o.
passage through the California legisla
| ture, aimed against the Japanese owner
ship or leasehold of fruit lands in Cal
! ifornia, is denounced even by the most
/ intelligent opinion in that state. Were
! it proposition bearing merely on the
interests of the japanese, as undoubted-
| ly the intention is, it probably would
not arouse the feeling which it has done
among the people in the state, but it is
not merely double, but a many-edged
sword. The San Francisco Chronicle eX-
presses the complications inherent in ex-
traordinary proposed legislation in these
forcible words:
1t turns out that as stockholders,
mortgage owners or individuals. foreign
ers of many nations have enormous in
terests in California lands.
They are investors in irrigation works,
mining and other enterprises involving
ownership of land.
And they are aliens and intend to re-
main such. For the most part they do
not live here. but at our own earnest
solicitation they have invested money
here under our laws as they have been.
and they protest against having their
investments or their security impaired.
As stockholders in a corporation they
do not wish to be bothered to keep them
selves informed as to whether q ma
jority are citizens, and if they hold a
mortgage protest that in case OF fore
closure it would be confiscation to com
pei them to sell within a year, regard
less of markets or customers.
This legislature is composed of men
who are worse than freaks or cranks.
They have ceased to be a joke. They
are becoming a terror. In moment
of popular insanity we have endowed
these people with brief tenure of pow
er. which they are using to destroy in
dustry. drive capital away, interfere
with the ordinary life and pursuits of
men and make California uninhabtable
by rational men, or those who have any
hope of prosperity.
These are severe words. but they APP
pear to reek wit. naked truth. The I
matter has been placed before President 1
Wilson as carr ing with it gross vio- I
alton of treaty rights, with the thought /
IF invoking his interference, as the final |
lister of the state department. should /
he bill pass. and with the governors |
signature become law. This was done
It the instance of the japanese govern
nent. IL was a little premature. but it
rev from the president his view of his
'wn position in the question. He took
he ground that he could not interfere
With the action of a sovereign state.
Sut read clearly between the lines his
llarded answer had its clear implica-
ion. On the right initiative being tax
n this whole question can be placed be-
ore the United States supreme court.
whose function would clearly indicate
hat Of determining whether OF not such
law would infringe treaty obligations. (
I IL were 50 determined. the Jaw wnuh
econle invslid for the treaty responsi- ,
ilities Of the federal government, made ,
.ithin it, own unquesti0ncd Iurisdic- !,
on, would invalidate any state law ,
them. President Wilson.
declining 10 take any action, eX-
ressed a correct Interpretation OF the
Of his own great office. Nor
yuli he a. = states rigats Democrat -
v Oh school have consistently assumed
lv other attitude. The constitutional
az l. the correct ard sure way ia this ,
well a. in al other controversies II !
ich a kind.-NeW York Commercial. 8