Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-05-11
Hon. Roswell =. Flower OF New York,
on the Chinese immigration Question.

on the Inlhese Immigration VuestlOh.
The speech of Mr.. Flower on the
Chinese bill is 80 marked for brevity,
point and comprehensiveness, that we
give the following extracts from it.
Mr.. Flower said:
The question before the House is, in
my opinion, simple one. Ii can be
summed up in one word Shall we pro.
tect our labor, or shall we allow it to be
degraded to the coolie standard? This
is what we are to decide upon: Wheth.
er we shall. afford protection or our
laborers, or whether we will be content
to protect our capital only aud leave
labor out of consideration. There is no
question OF principle; there is no ques.
tion of sentiment; the question is solely
and simply relative to the price of labor.
The coolie system is a system Of
| slavery Chinese labor is brought here
by companies fora certain sum per capita,
1t comes to perform certain work, to
secure certain pay, and finally to return
home so much the richer II comes in
| the interest of those who are obliged
to employ labor. 1t comes to aid those
who have mines to work, or railroads to
| build, or factories TO be manned, or
| labor OF any sort to be done. IL is
bought and brought by capital to in.
crease the profits of capital il is a
wage saving, labor.robbing, wage.reduc.
| ing machine, bought and worked in the
interest of capital. The tool itself-the
Chinaman-is the passive instrument in
the hands of masters. He seus himself
| from home, from friends, from family TO
| further the selfish scheme of his en-.
ployer lie places himself in the hands
of his purchaser.
He does not come with his wife and
children to find a permanent home, but
expressly for the purpose Of taking back
TO his wife and children some of the
comforts Of which he has deprived our
citizens. Not like the European immi.
grant, who brings US wealth and love
| Of liberty, he comes TO take wealth
away, and to stamp upon labor the ser.
vile characteristics OF his race.
These are the facts. Can there be
any romance or sentiment in matter
Of such sort?
No country can send us any OF her
goods TO be sold TO the disadvantage OF
our producers. No country can bring
the products Of it's looms and work.
shops TO compete with ours in home
| markets. No land can eucroach upon
our manufactures or deprive them OF
their profits. No foreign competition
can reduce their rate OF gain. China,
that land of poverty and wealth. that
miracle of cheapness, can send all her
lol to r.rtvI llvEV A
while the products Of capital can come
no nearer ours than q 80 per cent. tariff
will allow. do not discuss tariff; | do
not discuss equal rights: do not dis.
cuss American citizenship. But when
| hear Republicans who will 90 to tho
polls shouting "Protection for Amerl.
can industries - when | hear the men
who boast of their kind patronage and
fatherly protection to American labor
when hear these men protest against
= bill looking to the expulsion of pauper
labor from our midst; when | hear
them sound the trumpet Of the coole
system and the principle OF freedom To.
gcther when ! see them attempting to
deprive the American lAbnTer OF his en-
ploymcnt by introducing a class Of
"helots :" when | see them trying TO
drive out native horn and adopted citi.
zens from their voCations by the aid Of
mercenaries when ! see them advo.
eating protection and at the same time
importing labor machines free of duty,
| can neither doubt their inconsistency
nor trust their disinterestedness.
Mr.. Flower Is the successor Of Hon.
Levi 7. Morton and represents one Of
the most important districts of New
York. He Is young man Of high
promise and efficiency. and II he con.
tinues in public life. will OIL some OF the
most important public positions in the
country.