Speech #630187446

I voted as my conscience dictated and as I believe was right when we consider the interests of all the people as against the interests of any particular section of our country. and the same motive will actuate me in voting against the repeal. as I would not be in favor of retaining our right to grant free tolls if the economic phase was the only principle involved. The great principle at stake in this matter is whether we are going to unconditionally surrender our rights at the request of Great Britain. and I cast my vote against repeal with strong feelings of patriotism. as I consider the national honor of my country hangs in the balance. and that is tile only crisis at hand at this time. It is about time this country stopped trifling in the handling of our foreign affairs and stopped truckling to England and Japan. and especially the latter. to whom we have been conceding much since 1907. by each successive administration. and this applies particularly to the internal affairs of the State of California. who. whenever its citizens have tried to protect themselves from the Asiatic peril. have been coerced by the National Government at the instance of Japan. and particularly because her subjects have large financial and commercial interests in the State of California. Japan has not complained when other States in our Union have adopted drastic antiAsiatic measures. and this has happenied in Arizona and one of our nearby Southern States recently. Japan did not protest. for the reason that the interests of her subjects were not materially affected. and when the financial and commercial interests of the Japanese in this country are not affected the Japanese have not any national honor involved. I cite this to show that we have been interfering with the internal rights of the States when we had no right to do so. and should have. as in the instance of Japan. notified them that California had a perfect right to settle her own affairs. This policy has encouraged Great Britain and Japan. who are allies. to persist in trying to humiliate our Nation in the eyes of the world and to demonstrate that the United States is not a stickler in the matter of the Nations honor. When the people of the West have applied to Congress for relief in the matter of extending the exclusion law to all Asiatics and Hindus they have had to whisper into a deaf ear. I call attention to the Hayes amendment offered to the Burnett immigration bill when that bill was pending in the House. This amendment was rejected. and at that time the proponents of Asiatic exclusion were promised by the chairman of the Committee on Immigration prompt action and a hearing on these bills. Up to date we have not been able to get any consideration of these measures. When we appeared at the time set for the hearing we found the committee behind closed doors in executive session. and this owing to the activity of the administration. under the leadership of Secretary of State Bryan. who appeared personally before the committee and succeeded in having consideration of all Asiatic exclusion bills stopped. Is this another interference with the legislative branch of the Government by the Executive on the ground that "other matters of even greater delicacy and nearer consequence" were involved. or is it another instance of sacrificing our national honor and the rights of the American people in order that the dove of peace may still hover over us at no matter how great a sacrifice of principle? And once again Japan emerges smilingly. by means of a timely protest and a good publicity bureau.