Daily Republican., 1881-05-24
Foreign vs.. American Labor

Foreign VS.. American Labor
If emigration from Europe continues
at the present rate much larger we need
not be surprised if it would begin 10
create apprehensions of alarm in some
European powers which by this contihu-
al drain upon their population must be-
gin to feel the effects. But there are
two sides of this question to the Amerl-
can people We have as much cause
probably to he concerned about the
effect this wholesale emigration will
have upon this country as we have to be
concerned about the effect it will have
unOu the the countries that furnish the
enicrants. Where do these emigrantS
all 90 when they reach the United
States Previous to this they general
went west to be employed upon western
imDroyements and to develop the unde-
yeloped resources of that sparsely settled
region. So long as this was done there
was no complaint, but emigration seems
lately to have assumed a new phase.
The eastern cities and manufactures
nresent more attraCtivenesS to the new
corners than the wild unsettled regions
of the west. In the great desire TO Oh
tain Cheap labor even some of the lead
ing firms of Wilmington are importing
foreign labor. Hundreds Of emlgranta
have been brought to this city and now
have snug berths in the works OF the
great ship building firm of the Harlan
q Hollingsworth Company, and at the
Edge Moor Iron COmpany's works. we
are also told that the Delaware Beet
Sugar Company has made arrangements
for the importation of number OF 1o'-
| Handlers who understand the manuiaC-
ture of sugar from beets and who no
Iouht will work for very low wages.
Nobody will dispute The right OF these
pIuirrantS To come TO this country. III
%, m,non parlance the flag Of tie free Is
llng out as an insignia of welcome
and protection to the oppressed OF al
nations who may seek our shores, but
the question is, whether this hearty wei
come is not being overdone.
Why has it become necessary to INTRO
duce foreign labor into our American
workshops? Is it cheaper and is it bet
ter than American labor, or is there not
sufficient supply of American labor
If the latter is the case, then there Is
some excuse for the introduction OF tor
eipu labor. If foreign labOrers work
cheaper than American laborerS then
the effect will be most disastrous to this
country. 1t is plainly to be seen tha'
American laborers are to have their la
bor reduced to the standard of foreign
wages, and the placing of a hundred
or two hundred foreign workmen III Il
large manutactOry means low wages or
the discharge of as many American la
| bOrerS.
We must confess that there is cause
for serious apprchensions for the future
in this great and unprecedented influx
of foreigners into our country. We are
told the number i'll the present month
Of May will aggregate 10000. This
same proportion kept up would in a
wear run up well towards a million, and
in the present decade would add nearly
ten millions to our population, or one
fifth Of what our whole population was
in 1880. While business is good, manu-
factories all in full operation, railroads
ibuilding, and mines are being deyel-
Oped this great horde of emigrants may
fnd remunerative employment and
probably without the displacement OF
American labor, but should four years
panic come on similar to that which
ended in 1873 what would become OF
these emigrants? They would either
be left without employment or they
would remain employed while so many
American laborers would be displaced
We must confess that this great intiu'
of foreign emigration to our shores ha
l to us an unpromising aspect and i
e pregnant with forebodings Of evil 10 tn
; future of the country and especially t
the American laborer.