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About Lexington wheatfield. (Lexington, Or.) 1905-19?? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 1906)
A SPECIAL MESSAGE President Sends Communication to Congress on Jap Question. The following communication lias been transmitted to both houses of Con gress by the President: "I inclose herewith for your Informa tion the final report made to me per sonally by Secretary Metcalf on the sit uation affecting the Japanese in San Francisco. The report deals with three matters of controversy first, the ex clusion of the Japanese children from the San Francisco schools; second, the boycotting of Japanese restaurants, and, third, acts of -violence committed against the Japanese. "As to the first matter, I call your especial attention to tbe very small number of Japanese children who at tend school, to the testimony as to the brightness, cleanliness and good be havior of these Japanese children in the schools, and to the fact that, owing to their being scattered throughout the city, the requirement for them all to go to one special school is impossible of fulfillment and means that they can not have school facilities. Let me point out further that there would be no ob jection whatever to excluding from the schools any Japanese on the score of age. It is obviously not desirable that young men should go to school with nhllrlrpn. The onlv Boint is the exclu sion of the children themselves. The number of Japanese children attending the public schools In San Francisco was very small. The government has al ready directed that suit be brought to test the constitutionality of the act In question; but my very earnest hope is that such suit will not be necessary, and that as a matter of comity the citi zens of San Francisco will refuse to de prive these young Japanese children of education and will permit them to go to the schools. "The question as to the violence against the Japanese Is most admirably put by Secretary Metcalf, and I have nothing to add to his statement. I am entirely confident that, as Secretary Metcalf says, the overwhelming senti ment of the state of California Is for law and order and for the protection of the Japanese in their persons and prop erty. Both the chief of police and the acting mayor of San Francisco assured Secretary Metcalf that everything pos sible would be done to protect the Jap anese in the city. I authorized and di rected Secretary Metcalf to state that if there was failure to protect persons and property, then the entire power of the Federal government within the lim its of the constitution would be used promptly and vigorously to enforce the observance of our treaty, the supreme law of the land which treaty guaran teed to Japanese residents everywhere in the Union full and perfect protection for their persons and property; and to this end everything in my power would be done, and all the forces of the United States, both civil and military, which I could lawfully employ would be em ployed. I call especial attention to the concluding sentence of Secretary Met calf's report of November 26, 1906. Secretary Metcalf's report is ad dressed to the President under date of November 26 last, and In part Is as fol lows: , "In my previous report I said noth ing as to the causes leading up to the action of the school board In passing the resolution of October 11, and the effect of such action upon Japanese children, residents of the city of San Francisco, , desiring to attend the public schools of that city. A report on this matter will now be made. "It seems that for several years the board of education of San Francisco had been considering the advisability of es tablishing separate schools for Chinese, Japanese and Corean children, and on May 6, 1905, passed the following reso lution: - . . , ' . ' " 'Resolved, That the board of educa tion is determined in its efforts to ef fect the establishment of separate schools for Chinese and Japanese pupils, not only for the purpose of relieving the congestion at present prevailing in our schools, but' also for the higher end that our children should not be p aced in any position where their youthful im pressions may be affected by association with pupils' of the Mongolian race. "And on October 11 the board passed the following resolution: ; "'Resolved, That in accordance with article X, section 1662. of the school law of California, principals, are hereby directed to send all Chinese, Japanese or Corean children to the Oriental pub lic school, situated on the south side of Clay street, between Powell and Ma son streets, on and after Monday, Oc tober 15, 1906.' m , "The action of the board In the pass age of the resolutions of May 6, 1905, and October 11, 1906, was undoubtedly ' largely Influenced by the activity of the Japanese and Corean Exclusion league, an organization formed for the purpose of securing enactment by the congress of the United States of a law extending the provisions of the exist ing Chinese exclusion act so as to ex clude Japanese and Coreans. "The number of schools In San Fran cisco prior to April 18 was 76. Of this number 28 primary or grammar schools and two high schools were destroyed by fire, and one high school was destroyed by earthquake, leaving 45 schools. Since April 18, 27 temporary structures have been erected, making the total number of school buildings at the present time 72. "The Oriental school, the school set apart for the Chinese, Japanese and Co rean children, is in the burned section. There is only one Japanese student at tending this school at the present time, and there are no Japanese children at tending any of the other public schools. I visited the Oriental school in com pany with the Japanese consul and found it to compare favorably with many of the new temporary structures erected In the city. The course of In struction Is exactly the same as at the other public schools, and competent . teachers are assigned for duty In this school. Nearly all of the pupils at tending this school have to be taught the English language. "I found the sentiment in the state very strong against Japanese young men attending the primary grades. Many of the people were outspoken in their condemnation of this course, saying that they would take exactly the same stand against American young men of similar ages attending the primary grades. I am frank to say that this objection seems to me a most reasonable one. All of the political parties In the state have Inserted In their platforms planks in favor of Japanese and Co rean exclusion, and on March 7, 190B, the state legislature passed a Joint resolu tion urging that action be taken by treaty or otherwise to limit and dimin ish the further Immigration of Japan ese laborers into the United States. "The press of San Francisco pretty generally upholds the action of the board of education. Of the attitude of the more violent and radical newspapers it Is unnecessary to speak further than to say that their tone Is the usual tone of hostility to 'Mongol hordes,' and the burden of their claim Is that Japanese are no better than Chinese, and that the same reasons which dictated the ex clusion of the Chinese call for the ex clusion of the Japanese as well. "The temper and tone of the more conservative newspaper! may better be illustrated by an epitome of their ar gument upon the public school ques tion, That argument practically Is as follows: The public schols of California are a state and not a Federal institu tion. The state has the power to abol ish those schools entirely, and the Fed eral trovernment would have no right to lift its voice in protest. Upon the oiner nana, me state mav exienu mo privileges of its schools to aliens upon such terms as it, the state, may elect, and the Federal government has no right to question its action in this re gard. Primarily arid essentially the public schools are designed for the edu cation of the citizens of the state. The state Is Interested in the education of Its own citizens alone. It would not for a moment maintain this expensive Institution to educate foreigners and aliens who would carry to their coun tries the fruits of such education. There fore, if it should be held that there was a discrimination operating in violation of the treaty with Japan In the state's treatment of Japanese children, or even if a new treaty with Japan should be framed which would contain on behalf of Japanese subjects the 'most-favored-natlon' clause, this could and would be met bv the state, which would then ex clude from the use of its public schools all alien children of every nationality and limit the riguts of free education to children of its own citizens, for whom the system is primarily designed and maintained, and if the state should do this the Federal government could not complain, since nq treaty right could be violated when the children of Japanese were treated precisely as the children of all foreign nations. "The feeling in the state Is further Intensified, especially in labor circles, by the report on the conditions in the Hawaiian islands as contained in Bul letin 66 of the Bureau of Labor, De partment of Commerce and Labor. The claim is made that white labor has been almost entirely driven from the Ha waiian Islands, and that the Japanese are gradualy forcing even the small white traders out of business. "Many of the foremost educators in the state, on the other hand, are strong ly opposed to the action of the San Francisco board of education. Japan ese are admitted to the University of California, an institution maintained and supported by the state. They are also admitted to, and gladly welcomed at, Stanford University. San Francisco, so lar as known, is the only city which has discriminated against Japanese chil dren. I talked with a number of promi nent labor men, and they all said that they had no objection to Japanese chil dren attending the primary grades; that they wanted Japanese children now in the United States to have the same school privileges as children of other nations, but that they were unalterably opposed to Japanese young men attend ing the primary grades. "The objection to Japanese men at tending the primary grades could very readily be met by a simple rule limit ing the ages of all children attending those grades. All of the teachers with whom I talked while in San Francisco spoke in the highest terms of the Jap anese children, saying that they were among the very best of their pupils, cleanly in their persons, well behaved, studious, and remarkably bright. "The board of education of San Fran cisco declined to rescind its resolution of October 11. claiming that, having es tablished a separate school for Chinese, Japanese and Corean children, the pro visions of section 1662 of the political code became mandatory." Resume of Japanese attending public schools in San Francisco as mentioned In the foregoing communication: Number of pupils 93 Number' of schools they attended 23 Number of pupils at 6 years old ' 7 years old 6 8 years old . . . . 9 9 years old 3 10 years old " 11 years old ,.,, 5 12 years old j , 8 13 years old ......... . 7 14 years old 15 years old .10 16 years old 9 17 years old 12 18 years old 6 19 years old .' . 4 20 years old 2 Number of pupils at ' First grade ..;...... 7 Second grade 10 Third grade J 2 Fourth grade lj Fifth grade ,', 11 Sixth grade , 13 Seventh grade J Eighth grade 17 Number of pupils born in Japan '6 United States 25 Number of girls 28 Boys 65 "A boycott was maintained In San Francisco from October 3 to October 24 by members of the Cooks and Waiters' Union against Japanese restaurants do ing business in that city. Nearly all of the leaders of labor organizations In San Francisco interviewed on this sub ject disclaimed any knowledge of any formal action being taken tor the boy cotting of these restaurants. "As a matter of fact, a most effect ive boycott was maintained against nearly all of the Japanese restaurants located in San Francisco for at least three weeks. Pickets were stationed in front of these restaurants and every ef fort was made to prevent people from patronizing them. At times stones were thrown and windows broken, and in one or two instances the proprietors of the restaurants were struck bv theie stones. "I am satisfied, from inquiries made by me and from statements made to me by the Japanese restaurant keepers, that the throwing of stones and break ing of windows was not done by the men picketing the restaurants, but by young men and boys who had gathered in front of the restaurants as soon as the boycott was instituted. "Assaults have from time to time been made upon Japanese subjects resi dent in the city of San Francisco. I was Informed by the chief of police that upon receipt of a communication from the Japanese consul he at once instruct ed captains of police to make every ef fort to stop these assaults, and, if nec essary, to assign men In citizens' clothes to accomplish the purpose. "These attacks, so I am informed, with but one exception were made when no policeman was in the Immediate neighborhood. Most of them were made by boys and young men; many of them were vicious in character, and only one appears to have been made with a view of robbing the persons attacked. All these assaults appear to have been made subsequent to the fire and earthquake in San Francisco, and my attention was not called to any assaults made prior to the 18th day of April. 1906 "I know that these assaults upon the Japanese are universally condemned by all good citizens of California. For months the citizens of San Francisco and Ookland have been terrorized hy numerous murders, assaults and rob beries, both at day and night. The po lice have been powerlesB. The assaults upon the Japanese, however, were not made, in my Judgment, with a view of robbery, but rather from a feeling of racial hostility, stirred up possibly bv newspaper accounts of meetings that have been held at different times rela tive to the exclusion of Japanese from the United States. "While the sentiment of the state of California, as manifested by the public utterances of the Japanese and Corenn Exclusion league, by articles In many of the leading newspapers In the state, by declarations of the political parties In their platforms, and bv the passage of a joint resolution by the state legis lature on March 7, 1905, Is In favor of the exclusion of Japanese coolies, yet the overwhelming sentiment In the state Is for law and order and for the pro tection of Japanese in their persons and their property. "The chief of police of the city of San Francisco, as also the acting mayor ot the city, assured me that everything possible would he done to protect the Japanese subjects In San Francisco, and they urgently requested thnt all cases of HisRuIt and all violations of law af fecting the Japanese be at once reported to the chief of police. "I Impressed very strongly upon the acting mayor of the city, as also upon the chief of police, the gravity of the sltuntton, and told them that, as offi cers charged with the enforcement of the law and the protection of property and person, you looked to them to see that all Japanese subjects resident In San Francisco were afforded the full protection guaranteed to them by our treaty with Japan. "If, therefore, the police power of San Francisco is not sufficient to meet trie situation and guard and protect Japan ese residents In San Francisco, to whom under our treaty with Japnn we guar antee 'full and perfect protection for their persons and propenty, then, if seems to me, It Is clearly .the duty of the Federal government to afford such protection. All considerations which may. move a nation, every consideration of duty-4n the preservation of our treaty obligations, every consideration prompt ed by '50 , years orunore of . close friend ship with the empire 6f Japan,'" would unite In demanding, It seems to me, of the United Stntes government and all Its people, the fullest protection and the highest consideration for the subjects ot Japan." : s Fonr rich Nebraskans have been con victed of land frauds. Oregon minerB will ask the next leg islature for a state mining inspector. Railroad men and shippers attribute much of the far shortage to excessive prosperity. Creditors of Zion City are making strenuous efforts to get affairs of the Dowie city settled. The pope has sent a protest against the French church policy to all the papal representatives abroad. The San Francisco school board ac cuses Roosevelt of meddling and mis representation in the Japanese ques tion. C. A. Prouty, of Vermont, member of the Interstate commission, says freight rates will soon be reduced all over the country. Hilary Herbert, ex-secretary of the Navy, says the president did nothing more in the discharge of the negro troops than Grant and Lee both did. The Chinese famine is growing worse. There is a move to put a British prince on the Servian throne. All Italian shipping has been tied up by the general strike of seamen. At Norflok,N eb., the temperature is 3 below 2ero with coal at $20 per ton. . Japanese warships will avoid San Francisco for a time lest the Maine dis aster recur. . A mining exchange has been organ ized in Chicago in connection with the board of trade. Germans are confident of a tariff agreement between their country and the United States. A fuel famine is on at Phoenix, Ariz. There is no oil and the gas and electric plants have shut down. , Governor Mead has appointed a spe cial committee to investigate the short age of coal in Washington. PORTLAND MARKETS. Butter Fancy creamery, 3035c. Eggs Oregon ranch, 35c per dozen. Poultry Average old hens, ll12c per pound; mixed chickens, ll12c; spring, ll12c; old roosters, 9llc; dressed chickens, 14 15c; turkeys, live, ..17 17c; turkeys, dressed, choice, 2022c; geese, live, 10c; ducks, 1516c. Fruits Apples, common to choice, 5075c per box; choice to fancy, $1 2.50; pears, $1 1.50; cranberries, $11.50 12.50 per barrel ;. persimmons, $1.50 per box. Vegetables Turnips, 90c$l per sack; carrots, 90c$l per sack; beets, $1.25(1.50 per sack; horseradish, 9 10c per pound; sweet potatoes, Z 2c per pound; cabbage, 11c per pound; cauliflower, $1.25 per doz en; celery, $44.50 per crate; lettuce, head, 30c per dozen; onions, 1012c per dozen; pumpkins, ljc per pound; spinach, 4 5c per pound; squash 1 Deeper pound. Onions Oregon, 75c$l per hun dred. Potatoes Oregon Burbanks, fancy, $11.10; common, 7585c. Wheat Club, 6566c; bluestem, 6768c; valley, 6667c; red, 63c. Oats No. 1 white, $2526; gray, $24.5025. Barley Feed, $2121 .50 per ton; brewing, $22.50; rolled, $22.5024. Rye $1.401.45 per cwt. Corn Whole, $26; cracked, $27 per ton. Hay Valley timothy, No. 1, $11 12 per ton; Eastern Oregon timothy, $1416; clover, $78; cheat, $7.50 8.50; grain hay, $7.508.50; alfalfa, $11.50; vetch hay, $77.50. Veal Dressed, b8c per pound. Beef Dressed bulls, l2c per pound; cows, 4 5c; country steers, 55. Mutton Dressed, fancy, 8 9c per pound: ordinary, 67c. Fork Dressed, 68c per pound. Hops Ill5c per pound, according to quality. Wool Eastern Oregon average best, 1318c, according to shrinkage; Val ley, 2023c, according to fineness; mo hair, choice, 2628c. 7n the national halls of congress Thursday, Dec 20. Washington, Dec. 20 Senator For aker occupied tho attention of the sen ate in its last session before the holiday recess today in an extended criticism of the basis of the piesident's action in discharging tho negro troops of the Twoilty-fifth Infantry on account of the Brownsville raid. He was replied to briefly by Lodge, while Scott sustained the demand of the Ohio senator for a full investigation of the matter by the senate military committee. . A resolu tion declaring frsuch an investiga tion is before the senate for action at its.next meeting. Washington,' Doc. 20. After being in session for threerquartors of an hour today, the house adjourned ' until Janu arys, 1907. Empty desks greeted the speaker when tho house convened, and the desire to get away for the holidays was superior to the inclination for busi ness. .'"". Mondell, of Wyoming, succeeded in passing" the bill extending to May 15, 1907, tho time in which entrymen may make final Settlement on the ShoHhone Indian reservation. Then Payne, of New York, called up his resolution re lating to the distribution of the presi dent's annual message to the several committees in accordance with a cus tom that has existed since the founda tion of the government. The house passed the resolution and adjourned at 12:45 p. m. A hundred members waited to extend the season's greeting to Speaker Cannon. Wednesday, Dec. 19. Washington, Dec. 19. President Roosevelt's message dealing with his action in dismissing from the army the negro troops of the three companies of the Twenty-fifth infantry furnished the one topic of interest in the senate's ses sion today. A lively debate followed the reading of the message as to what should be done with it. Foraker wanted it sent to the 'mili tary committee with instructions to make further investigation, should the committee deem it necessary. He said that in reality much that appeared to be testimony was not testimony, as much of it was not under oath. On objection from Clay, the senate post poned action until tomorrow. The pension calendar was cleared by the passage of more than 200 private pension bills. At the suggestion of Senator Lodge, President Roosevelt's Panama message will be printed for the senate in "nor mal" spelling. Kittredge secured the adoption of an ordes for 20,000 copies. j Washington, Dec. 19. In the house today Lacey, of Iowa, took a pronounc ed position in opposition to the adjourn ment of congress for the Christmas hol idays, declaring that "it is idiotic for the house to adjourn and then jam all legislation through under whip and spur during the closing days." Clark, of Missouri, declared that the statement made by Lacey about the idiocy of adjourning for the holidays was the most sensible thing he had said for the past 12 years. After considerable discussion on a proposed increase of clerks an absence of a quorum was revealed and the house adjourned. Tuesday, December 18. Washington, Dec. 18. The senate today devoted nearly four hours to consideration of unobjected bills on its calendar. The result, was the passage of a number of measures of minor im portance. Among those passed was one authorizing a government loan of $10,- 000,000 to the Jamsetown Tercenten nial Exposition company, and another providing for an investigation of the industrial, social, moral, educational and phyiscal condition of women and child workres in the'United States by the department of Commerce and La bor. -The urgent deficiency appropria tion bill was also passed. Washintgon, Dec. 18. During the session of the house today the Indian appropriattion bill was passed practi cally as it came from the committee on appropriations. The early morning session was devoted to the considera tion of District of Columbia business. The exodus of members has already commenced for the Christmas holidays. Monday, Dec. 17. Washington, Dec. 17. A pictorially illustrated message from President Roosevelt portraying conditions as he Was There Congo Lobby? Washington, Dec. 19. Senator Pat terson in a resolution has asked that the charges by a New York newspaper in relation to a lobby having been sent to the United States at the last session of congress to influence senators con cerning Congo Free State legislation be investigated by the senate committee on foreign relations. The resolution recites that the lobby is alleged to have been maintained by a foreign govern ment and that a consular official sent communications to senators in an effort to influence them. found them on the isthmus of Panmu during his , recent visit occupied the senate during the greater portion of its session today. Printed copies of tho message, handsomely bound, were placed on the desk of each senator anil tho reading of the document was closely followed. Preceding tho Panama mes sage, tho . president's recommendation respecting public lands and tho naval personnel were received and read. The 'senate agreed to the holiday ad journment resolution and will be in re cess from the end of the session Thurs day next until January 3. Resolutions wero agreed to directing an investigation by the department of Commerce and labor of the Interna tional Harvester company to ascertain whether it effects restraint of trade; also directing the senate - judiciary committee to report what authority congress may have under tho commerce clause of tho constitution to prevent in terstate commerce in child-made goods Washington, Dec. 17. The house began the last week before the Christ mas holidays with a determination to dispose of as much legislation as possi ble, to make way for the more active work which will devolve' on it when congress again convenes. To this end several small bills were passed under suspension of the rules. The Indian appropriation bill was taken up and 15 of the 57 pages completed when it was laid aside for tho president's message concerning the Panama canal, which consumed more than an hqur in its. reading, being listened to by a large number of members. The pictorial feature of the message afforded an opportunity for good na tured comment, the innovation of cut in a state paper being looked on with favor. Messages from the president on public lands and the naval personnel were also read. State Rights In Australia. Sydney, N. S. W., Dec. 20. Joseph Hector Carruthers, premier of New South Wales, has entered a strongly worded protest against any interference on the part of the imperial common wealth in the rights of the state gov ernments in state affairs. He declares that the Australian states declined to permit Alfred Deakin, the prime min ister of the commonwealth, to speak in their behalf, and that any resolu tions adopted at the colonial conference concerning state matters would be ig nored unless the individual states were represented. Fulton Looks Out for Counties. Washington, Dec. 20. Senator Ful--ton today secured the promise of the senate public lands committee to amend the bill repealing the timber and stone act so that 20 per cent of the receipts from the sales of public timber shall be paid to counties in which the timber is cut. This is in lieu of taxes. The bill provides that hereafter public timber not in forest reserves can only be acquired by pur- ; chase at not' less than its appraised value. North Dakota Has No Coal. St. Paul, Dec. 18. A special to the Despatch from Grand Forks, N. D., says that the fuel situation today pre sents the most critical condition that has existed in the history of the state. Careful inquiry in every portion of the northern half of the state shows that there is not a town in which coal could be had to supply immediate needs and in dozens of places there is not a pound to be bought, the dealers having beea out of fuel for days and weeks. Opposes Blanket Increase. Washington, Dec. 19. Representa tive Littauer, a member of-the commit tee on appropriations, talked with President Roosevelt today on the ques tion of increasing the salaries of gov ernment employes. The president is understood not to favor a blanket in crease of 20 per cent, although he is said to feel that there are many men in the government service who deserve more than they are receiving. Pay Lawmakers By the Day. Washington, Dec. 18. Representa tive Gaines introduced a bill today providing that senators and representa tives shall receive $13.75 a day, their pay to be deducted from their salaries for each day they fail to attend sesr sions. The sickness of members or illness in their families are the only valid excuses. May Agree on One Classif cation. Chicago, Dec. 19. An effort is to be made by the railroads to obtain a universal and systematic classification of freight in response to the demands of the shippers and to the suggestions of the Interstate Commerce commission. The first step in this direction w S taken by the Central Freight associi tlon, which has asked the Eastern lines to join it in considering the question . The plan is to appoint committees which will confer together and see if a uniform classification cannot be agreed upon.