Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909Hichborn, Franklin
History
Story of the Session of the California Legislature of 1909
Hichborn, Franklin
California -- Politics and government
A series of Senate anti-Japanese resolutions which were finally included
in Senate joint Resolution No. 6[97], almost led to a riot in the
Assembly. After a deal of pulling and hauling in the Senate the
resolution was finally adopted and went to the Assembly. In the
Assembly, Speaker Stanton, as "a select committee of one," took the
resolution under his protection. The indications being that the "select
committee of one" would fail to report, a storm was started by an attack
on Stanton's authority to be a "select committee of one" at all. The
assailants were repulsed. Nevertheless, "the select committee of one,"
after holding the measure a week, recommended that it be referred to the
Committee on Federal Relations. The measure was finally adopted and went
to the Governor.
[86] The Assembly vote on the four principal Japanese issues will be
found in Table I of the Appendix.
[87a] A bill providing funds for such a census was introduced and became
a law.
[87] The paragraph in Governor Gillett's message which deals with the
Alien Land bill, read as follows:
"If you believe the general policy of this State and its future
development demands that all aliens, that is, citizens of other
countries, should be discouraged in making investments here, and that no
alien should be permitted to become the owner in fee simple of any lands
within this State - agricultural, grazing or mineral, or of any city
property for the purposes of trade, commerce or manufacturing - then
enact a law forbidding the same, but see to it that it affects the
subjects of all nations alike, and that under its provisions the
citizens of Japan shall have equal privileges with those of England
and other favored nations; otherwise you might create a situation which
may prove to be embarrassing to the Federal Government. Mr. Drew's bill
might be so amended, but in its present form it clearly, as no doubt was
intended, discriminates against the citizens of China and Japan. Whether
any bill should pass at this time which will discourage foreign capital
from seeking investments in our State is a most serious question and one
not lightly to be considered. But that is a question I leave for you to
solve."
[88] The Governor's letter was in full as follows:
Hon. A. M. Drew: Your little note was received.
"I am inclined to think that the best possible law that can be passed on
the question of alien ownership of land would be the law adopted by
Oklahoma. You will find it in the session laws of the State of Oklahoma,
1907 and 1908. The book is on file in the State Library. The Act is on
page 481.
"I would strike out of the first line the words 'who is not a citizen of
the United States,' because that is useless. No alien is a citizen of
the United States, and cannot be.
"Then I notice the second line of Section 3, instead of having 'devise,'
the word is 'device.' I suppose this must be a typographical error.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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