Speech #600056635

Mr. Chairman. intend to divide the soil of the States over on the Pacific coast with the yellow race. but we intend to demand and cry out on this floor until the people of the United States hear our cry and grant us the only relief that is possible under the circumstances. to wit. an orientalexclusion act. It has been stated by gentlemen on the floor during this discussion that this matter of oriental immigration was already being settled so far as the Japanese are concerned. because Japan is taking care that her people do not hereafter come to the Pacific coast. Nothing is further from the truth. Japan has frequently given us assurance that she would prevent this immigration. and she has as repeatedly failed to keep these pledges. Last year. in spite of the pledge she gave to the Government of the United States that she would prevent her laborers coming to this country. more than double the number of Japanese came to this country than ever came in any one year before in the history of the worldmore than double the number who had come the year before. More than 30.000 came directly from Japan with passports. in spite of the assurance of the Government of Japan. and nearly all of them. or practically all of them. were coolies or laborers. During the last three months. in spite of the renewed assurances last fall from Japan that she was inaugurating and intending to enforce new and more rigorous regulations in order to prevent immigration. it is certain that during the last three months more than 5.000 Japanese have come to the Pacific coast. In the month of January of this year 1.419 Japanese immigrants came to this country directly from Japan with passports. of whom 792 were admittedly coolies. In February. 1.232 came. of whom 713 were coolies. I have not the figures for March. Besides many have come over the borders from Canada and Mexico. and they are still coming both from Japan and from Canada and Mexico.