The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1871-03-18

But, to resume; unless under certail
given conditions people, or a vast majori
ty, are not benefited by cheap labor. Fo
one, do not desire to see it. | wish ever
person paid full and fair equivalent 70
the labor he performs, be it skilled labor o
other. The laborer is worthy Of his hire
Nor do | expect to see labor cut down t
nothing and our people thus oppressed still
further for the benefit of capital, unles
this Chinese ingress assumes its full pro
portions or approximates thereto. Wher
oil white labor shall be thus superseded
and the great Chinese or pagan millennium
Of the party in power shall blaze forth IL
Illuminated With haloes of oriental splendor
intermingled with pigtails and chopsticks,
then our people could out-manufacture
and out-Produce the world were it rot fol
one thing-unfortunately we should have
neither country nor a people If such q
thing shall happen there will be few pros.
porous and bloated masters, and hordes q
Asiatic drudges
L have stated that this Chinese importa-
ton is slavery, and also stated that they
come voluntarily, and are glad Of the Cd
POrtunity. This though seemingly contra
dlctory is true. These Chinese are, in fact,
slaves, though, perhaps, voluntarily assum-
ing the position. As before remarked they
are bound by ties to their native land
where they were only slaves at best They
and their labor are contracted for. bought
and sold in China, and our laws and insti
tutlons have no control over them, either
as to price or condition of servitude.
When the system attains its fall growth,
the wages, even Of these poor, miserable,
and unfortunate Chinese will be lowered to
point at which fallacious hope of saw
ing something after years of labor would
still attract them, whie the vast majority
would have to toll till death overlook
them.
II, however, this system was voluntarily
and was beneficial to the Chinese, if BY a
certain number of years work they could
secure humble competence, are we, how
ever, 20 philanthropically disposed toward
all mankind as to benefit such strangers
at the cost Of degradation, ruin, and
starvation to our own race and people 2
But allow me TO say in plain words, to
the gentlemen who import Chinese, to those
who encourage and indorse the abominable
trathc, and to the capitalists who are pre-
pairing 10 import more such slaves to sup
plant our own laborers, that the race who
have redeemed these vast regions from
the wilderness will never consent to be
crowded out Of existence ze the slave
subjects Of the Montezumas, or Incas, or
the aboriginal occupants of this soil, and
from the domain which their toll, their
brain, and their blood have won and fructi-
fled. Never They will resist, and sue
cessfully resist, the shoddy Asiatic invaders,
let them be imported by whom they may,
or in whatever shape they come, except as
travellers passing through our land, or as
merchants, in limited numbers, under GER
tain restrictions, at designated ports. Self
preservation, which is the FIRST law Of ma
ture, demands this for the sake Of ourselves,
our families, and pOsterity, and be labor
ers of America will assuredly see to the
matter before il is too late. 1t is probable
that the American operatives, like ourselves,
do not know all they ought to know, but
wO to your administration party when the
labOrers Of the United States learn, as they
shortly will learn, all the bearings Of this
Chinese question. The San Domingo lob
is as grain of sand upon the sea shore
compared 70 this. All the shoddy contracts
and all the swindles Of the past ten years
dwIndle into comparative nothingness be-
side the immensity of the proposition to
thus ruin our whole people, for we are a
nation Of laborers with few exceptional
cases.
The American wOrkingmen have not
only the muscle and intelligence necessary
for any emergency, but they have learned
how to organize. These men claim a mil
lion and half of votes others concede to
them million and quarter. Bennett, of
the New York Herald, depicting them, ad-
mits that the organized associations Of labor
will give three quarters of a million of
votes These men are intelligent enough to
know their rights, and courage enough to
maintain them. With lifted brow and
hand on heart, l stand before this House
and say that | am not demagogue-I am
q Democrat in the truest sense and. with
due respect for the intelligence Of this House
and of the people. in my opinion neither
this House nor the people fully appreciate
the magnitude Of this Chinese question. or
its latent powers and bearings not for want
Of sense to comprehend, but for want Of time
and study devoted thereto
After this somewhat lengthy, but | be-
heve necessary disquisitiOn, have but a
few words to say in conclusion. Last ses-
sion, as before remarked, | had the honor
to Introduce a resolution Of inquiry on this
subject. 1t was referred to the Committee
on Foreign Affairs and it is in their hands
yet But whether it be reported back this
session, or whether it be reported down if
voted back, the question is up in our broad
land, and, like Banquo's ghost, will not be
laid" f" 1t is not one Of the questions, like
that of Cuba, or the Alabama claims, or
the resolution of amnesty, that you can
''stAve of at your pleasure,
Take up at your leisure"
1t is one which will come to you at your
homes, your thresholds, and your fresides;
il will permeate every form Of active indus
try it must be met, squarely met il is
before the country it has loOmed up sud
denly, and with such abrupt prominence
that politicians are startled, at least many
Of those who have the perception to see
anything of its importance. Some three
members Of Congress, one in the House
and two in the Senate, saw something Of
its proportions, seized time by the forlock,
and made speeches. The gentleman in the
House did not seem to have bis heart in the
subject, or did not comprehend it, and bis
remarks fell far short of bis usually able
efforts. The same may be said of the
speeches Of two honorable Senators on the
same subject The gentleman from Cali
fornia. Mr. johnson. made a yerv clear.