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
"See. 2. A violation of the provisions of this Act shall be deemed a
misdemeanor and shall be punished as such."
[92] "Never before have I heard of a time," said Assemblyman Cronin,
"when a Governor has sent such a message to a Legislature. I am
responsible to my constituents for my actions on this floor and I resent
such interference. I hold the Governor's action to be indiscreet. He has
no more right to send such a message to this House than have we to
dictate to the Supreme Court a policy on any action pending before it,
on the ground that the best interests of the State depend upon their
regarding our Instructions.
"Can we dictate to the Governor the course that is to be pursued in an
executive matter? Let us stand by our guns."
"If the men change their votes on account of this fanciful talk from the
President and the Governor," said Johnson of Sacramento, "I shall
certainly be pained and surprised. They do not know the conditions as I
know them. We have a right to protect our State, and it will not
interfere with any international relations, and they know it. Their
specious argument will not change my vote one bit. I know what The
People want - what I want. I know influence has been brought to bear. It
will be further brought to bear. Now I trust this vote will not suffer
by you men changing your minds for such groundless reasons."
"Since yesterday," said Assemblyman Gibbons, "I have changed my views. I
thought there were three departments in this Government, but I find I
was mistaken. I recognize the error of my youthful belief. I know now
that the Legislative and the Executive are one, or, rather, that the
Executive is the Legislative."
[93] The question has been asked - was Johnson sincere in his advocacy
of the Anti-Japanese measures? The writer does not presume to answer;
the workings of Grove L. Johnson's mind and conscience are, for the
writer at least, too intricate for analysis. But Grove L. Johnson voted
for anti-racetrack gambling bills for years, spoke for them and fought
for them as keenly as he did for the Anti-Japanese bills, always on the
losing side. But when an anti-racetrack gambling bill was before the
Assembly with some prospect of passage, Grove L. Johnson was found the
leader of those opposed to its passage. In the case in point, to Grove
L. Johnson, and not President Roosevelt or Governor Gillett, or even
Phil Stanton, is due the credit for postponement of consideration of
Assembly Bill 14, a postponement which meant its defeat.
[94] The Transue resolution will be found in full In the appendix.
[95] Speaker Stanton very modestly took much credit for the defeat of
the bill. The following telegram was on its way to Washington almost
before the vote had been announced:
"Sacramento, February 10.-Theodore Roosevelt, White House Washington, D.
C. - The Assembly just reconsidered and refused passage of the Japanese
School bill. My congratulations.
P. A. STANTON."
The reply was as follows:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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