The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-07-13
THE UNITED AMERICAN MECHAN-
ICS.
They Celebrate at Pittsburg.
THE CANTON

--N ~ 10000 - 49,
and hired the band, and on Thursday af
ternoon marched through town in full re
gala to the depot. We learn they had al
interesting time.
The address of J. W. Burns, of Phila.
delphia, Pa, is reported in the Pittsburg
papers. The speaker said the organIza.
ton was American but not political. He
referred to the Irish societies of st. Pat.
rick, the Thistle and st. Andrews of Scot.
land, and the bunds of the Germans. He
gave the motto of the order-'honesty.
industry and sobriety." He shows that
"there may be tyranny and despotism o.
the almighty dollar" and says -
I have said the condition of the Ameri.
can mechanic was more precarious than il
was forty years ago. A smaller proportion
now own the dwellings that shelter their
families, although their ability to produce
matters of value has increased, and their
wages have increased, yet their comforts,
their retnements and their dwellings have
not adequately increased. They are found
in that position in which it is necessary in
many instances that they go hat in hand
to ask as a favor that they may have the
privilege to toll for the profit of others
In saying this | do not wish to convey
the idea that our order sanctions anything
like antagonism between employers and
iourneymen. We believe that IS unnec-
essary. Our organization contains en-
ployers and laborers. We can meet and
cordially discuss whatever measures may
be presented, and we believe the interests
of employers and employees are mutual.
But our observation shows US there is a
screw loose somewhere, and that there is
need of a remedy to secure that refine
ment and responsibility which is absolute
" necessary to enable the mechanic to
rear his family in such circumstances of
refinement and in such a manner as will
make his children ornaments of society as
well as useful members of it.
THE CHINESE QUESTION.
Not only is this condition of things up
on US, but We are in far greater danger
than ever before, and n of such immi-
nent character that those who have hith-
erto opposed our order now begin to see
that there is an absolute necessity to
prevent the breaking down of the inter-
estsof the working men of the country.
You will readily perceive I allude to
SL4ACoC 4lLllllRL dblOL. 1 NulLh LO OlC WHO
examines the subject can fail to readily
perceive if this inferior race of people-a
people different in morals, different in
physical characteristics, different in every
respect-a people Gt may NOT be proper to
use the world degraded; I say it is obvi-
Gus to my mind, and will be to that of
every candid person who will examine the
subject, that if a population of this class
ha Inf1enI into or1p aorrn4rVv 10 T,ola. vrOr1~
and degrade the wages of the American
mechanic, that the utter decentralization
of society is inevitable. I have recently
read the proceedings of a meeting of the
citizens of California upon this subject,
and in this far western State 1 would say
our order has but a mere foothold, and
there they have perceived to some extent
the degradation that must ensue If this
people are brought to this country, and in
discussing the subject there they are con-
t~inually spoken of as Chinese slaves, and
they protest against their being brought
to our country, and are ready to unite in
efforts to check their immigration. I
would say in regard to this movement, it
shows how far the avarice of the human
heart will lead men bent upon making
money to disregard the welfare of the
community, and disregard all that tends
to benefit American society, for the mere
purpose of enriching themselves. These
Chinese would never come to our country
if left themselves. In fact, they are too
poor to come here. They are not disposed
to leave their own country unless strong
inducements are held out to them, and
although under the liberal spirit of our
institutions it would be impossible to pre-
vent the immigration of individuals who
choose to come, yet it would be easy to
have Congress prevent associations from
buying the labor of those men and paw
ing their expenses to come here and work
out all that has been advanced. This is q
thing that could readily be prevented
without the infringement of any Individual
rights. Every one who is aware of the
manner in which the Chinese live at home.
and the small sum that they require fol-
their labor, will readily perceive how
strong the inducement would be to them
if offered in this country a one-third part
of the wages of the American mechanic.
They also have a wonderful aptness fol
some of the mechanical arts they have q
wonderful aptness in initiating things, and
this Is sometimes manifested in a ludic-
rous manner, a the story of the master
of a vessel Will illustrate. He sent a coat
to a Chlnaman, requesting new one made
of the pattern furnished. The old coat
had a patch Oh the sleeve, and the new
n came back with precisely the same
kind of a patch on its sleeve! Many arts
they learn with great readiness. We can
readily perceive what Will be the fate Of
the American mechanic if we allow a pop
ulation of this kind to come into ouI
country? We have had our land conVulsed
from end to end, and have experienced the
most terrible cIYA wal of modern times to
get rid of the abnormal influence of q
class in our country, and why should we
now, for the mere purpose Of gratifying
greedy avarice, allow another race, one ]
believe calculated in a greater degree tc
exercise ~demoralizing influences to COM
by these forced measures to reduce the
wages Of working men so that no man by
his mere labor can support his family ano
maintain his proper position in society,"
Tho manners and morals of the pehple
too, are of such a character that the infu.
sion of them into our country will lead tc
the utter degradation of the people. The
history OF the world teaches us that We
should rather exclude, than introduce BAG
materials into Jul society. We are not IL
want of a population here. There arr
people enough in our country for presenr
purposes. If wedo not fill up the vast tracts
Of public lands of the west, we certainly
can get along for a time without bringing
the millions of Eastern Asia to GU.
shores, to degrade the great body of on
people.
This is a subject hat has not been sufi
GENTLY agitated in our country. The PEG
pie are not aware of what will come upol
them if they persist in the apathy tina
has hitherto prevailed, and do not tax
time to consider the evils that will result
1 present this as one of the strongest ne
eessities for organization of the great bod,
of the p eople in order to look after thei
own interests.
CITY ITEMS.