Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-07-27
Many Observation-Disclosures
1eREIcN CONTRACT L,BeE.

Thsre exists grave complaint vito Just
cause for it among the coal miners III
Pennsylvania over the introduction
among them of vorkinRmeu with whon
thew cannot compete in the pauci'y "
nav received. Last year the e'p7'i-
roent WAS first tried by contracting Il
Hungary for large n1nber of men 70
oo,oe over TO the Unite1 States lney
come under an agreement to WorK TOT
a stipulated price for liked perloo'
their passage money being advanced Ds
the employing comp snies. Some OF 'neiD
br;no their families along. All OF this
class come for temporary residence ON!
and avow their intention OF returning
at the expiration of their coh'rae'-'
Meanwhile all their savings are export
ed 10 the places whence they c'ine.
Thew are described as low down IN th'
scale of humanity. filthy. degraded ano
ignorant. They work for bali or less
the ordinary wages of ether miners
and subsist upon food mint for deceh'
and self- respecting people. They bear
in fact Just about the same relationship
70 the free labJrers of Penn4yiVaniA ~
do the Chinese, whom IN methods OF
life they greatly resemble, to other Ia
borers of the Pacific Colst. A great
outcry is being made against this unde
sirabls and injurious form OF compe'i-
ton. and the Republican press eener-
aly is vigorously oondemnin9 It and
calling for the enactment Of restrictive
legislation.
Bat, as was perhaps TO be expected
this new form of degrading free labor
ia not without advocates to urge its oon-
tinuance and extension. Naturally
enoaeh among the list are found the
three great luminariss OF free trade
Independence, AnQlicism and "Cleve
land for President" of New York city.
The Times declares that "the importa-
ton OF men able and willing to work
under contract, although 1t horrines
Blaine and Logan and the California
hoodlums, is not a grave public danger.
The Herald says that lit is true labor
which costs 81 % per day has been sup
planted by labor that is paid only 60
cents per day and even less. They are
good laborers but cheap, and because
they are cheap they are prosecuted. ="
The Post, following in the same strain,
saws " contract labor is sinplv another
word for labor, and that the United
States will deliberately undertake to
prohibit the immigration of laboring
men We shall believe when We see it,
As remarked before, these are free trade
papers ami this Is the brutality of free
trade doctrine.
Contract labor, that Is, labor procured
by contracts made with foreign laborers
in foreign COUNTRIES where the condition
of iaborsrs ia essentially different, is not
free labor, as we understand the word. A
man who makes a contract in Hun
Rsry-where hs can live as his class live
for 81 per week-to come 10 America
and labor at the same. or even higher
rate of pay than is current at home, 10
not free man when he GETS here. Es-
pecially Is this the case il after his ar
rival he is compelled to repay his pas.
sage money, and is moreover bound for
term of years at stated wage. Bot
this 10 not the main Questionable fea-
tare. The identical arguments which
apply TO Chinese competition with
American citizens in the labor market,
have force with regard to this new spe-
ciss Of slavery in America. II degrades
the laborer. Ii places the industrious
laboring man with family, whom he
should, and will, if allowed to do SO,
support in cieanly comfort, educate AT
rear in self respect and honesty. upon q
plane with the lowest and most degrsd-
ed laborers Of the old world, with men
and women who for centuries have
never dared to lift their eyes above the
level on which they erovel, in inissry,
defilement and subiueation. American
workmsn cannot compete in the market
with the pauper labor of Europe, and
continue TO be fit for self government
The Republican doctrine of protection
to American manufacturers, has for its
foundation stone the protection of the
laborer. To charge tariff upon Euro
pean products. while admitting freely
under foreign contracts the labor " hick
produced them, is contradiction gross
aud palpable. The advocates of unre-
stric.ed immigration, together with free
trade journals, are brutality consistent in
seeing no objection to an influx of cor
tract labor from Hungary OF elsewhere.
But no one who is at heart an Amer
loan, no one who believes that this Re-
public rests upon the intelligence and
liberty OF its citizens, will champion a
movement which will place the free in :
tclligent laberer Of America upon level
with the half-fed, under paid. ignorant
and bestial pauper serfs of Austro- Hun.
gary. or any like classes in other coun.
tries of the old world. There is room in
the United States for freemen. There
are already tho many slaves among us
|
Our evening contemporary declares
that wa wara fnisia kar, i'm thinking, tha
outside" talent had been employed Ia
writing its editorials. As we asked 1