Olympia Lawmakers Refuse to Scapegoat Japanese Residents—For Now
A cable from Tokyo and a Pierce County bill barring foreigners from public works force the Washington House to confront anti-Japanese legislation.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
OLYMPIA, Feb. 10.—Legislation in favor of the Japanese was a feature of the House session today. Early this morning Acting Governor Hay received a telegram from Secretary of State Bacon stating that the Japanese ambassador had received a cable from Japan asserting that the Washington Legislature has under consideration bills providing that any Japanese who visited the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition would have to give bonds that he would leave the country for his home immediately after the close of the fair. Bacon asked for facts.
Acting Governor Hay at once sent the telegram and a special message to the House calling for all information. This started an earnest discussion. On motion of Representative Palmer of King, a resolution was adopted providing that any bills having such an object as indicated in the telegram should be indefinitely postponed, and also that no discriminatory legislation directed particularly at Japanese should be passed or considered. This was adopted unanimously.
Speaker Meigs also asked if any member had any such bill. There was no response.
Immediately following this the House took up House Bill 130 by Bell of Pierce. This bill provides that no foreigners may be employed on public works.
During the discussion which followed, charges were made openly that this bill was to discriminate against the Japanese.
Ghent of King supported the measure. Campbell of Snohomish said if it would keep Japanese and Chinese off public works he would support it. Farnsworth pleaded for equal rights for the Japanese.
Edge of Spokane, in a long speech, said the bill could not be considered as it was particularly aimed at the Japanese. In the course of his address Edge scored Palmer of King bitterly. Later on Hanson of King also took a shot at Palmer. He said Palmer was always found shouting for the taxpayer but in reality was working against them.
A motion was made to indefinitely postpone the bill, but this was defeated, 27 for to 62 against.
“No discriminatory legislation directed particularly at Japanese should be passed or considered.”
In 1909 Washington lawmakers faced the same question that keeps returning in immigration debates: whether to write discrimination into law or stand against it. The House unanimously disavowed a Japanese-exclusion message from Tokyo, then kept alive a “foreigners on public works” bill that critics called a proxy for anti-Japanese prejudice.
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