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
"Of course we must surrender our individual opinion, and bow to the
superior intellects of the 'Imperial Power,' which Mr. Beardslee loves
so well. Since we must vote, as a matter of course, what right have we
to vote otherwise than as the distinguished Governor and President say
in their infinite certainty?"
Johnson complained bitterly of the interference of the President with
the State and of the Governor with the Legislature.
"I have," said Johnson, "all respect for the intellect of James N.
Gillett, Governor of California, and for his superior, President
Roosevelt. But I am sent into this Chamber by my constituents and not by
Governor James N. Gillett. I have been returned here again and again,
and not because I bowed to the authority of James N. Gillett. I am here
for the good of my people, the people who supported me, and who expect
me to support them. I know more about the Japanese than Governor Gillett
and President Roosevelt put together. I am not responsible to either of
them."
"I am responsible to the mothers and fathers of Sacramento County who
have their little daughters sitting side by side in the school rooms
with matured Japs, with their base minds, their lascivious thoughts,
multiplied by their race and strengthened by their mode of life."
"I am here to protect the children of these parents. To do all that I
can to keep any Asiatic man from mingling in the same school with the
daughters of our people. You know the results of such a condition; you
know how far it will go, and I have seen Japanese 25 years old sitting
in the seats next to the pure maids of California. I shuddered then and
I shudder now, the same as any other parent will shudder to think of
such a condition."
[91] The purpose of the Municipal Segregation bill, as set forth in its
title, was "to confer power upon municipalities to protect the health,
morals and peace of their inhabitants by restricting undesirable,
improper and unhealthy persons and persons whose practices are dangerous
to public morals and health and peace to certain prescribed limits, and
prescribing a punishment for a violation of this Act."
The bill in full was as follows:
"Section 1. Whenever in the opinion of the governing body of any
municipality the presence of undesirable, improper and unhealthy
persons, or the presence of persons whose practices are dangerous to
public morals and health and peace is deemed to exist in the said
municipality and to be dangerous to the public morals and health and
peace of said municipality and its inhabitants, the said governing body
is hereby empowered to so declare by ordinance and is hereby empowered
and authorized to prescribe by ordinance the district and limits within
which said persons shall reside in said municipality, and thereafter it
shall be unlawful for any person of the class so declared to reside in
any other portion of said municipality than within the said district and
limits so fixed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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