The Labor enquirer., 1884-04-05
SEND 81 to the Relief Fund" and get
a chance IN the $250-pair of lots.
OFF WRONG AS USUAL.

The Tribune of Wednesday contained
an editorial upon the question of foreign
cheap labor competing with American
labor which, like all the writings of capi-
talistc editors upon industrial questions,
was piece Of bosh, based upon a mis-
conception of the case or a desire to
create a wrong impression.
The article in question was inspired
by the report that the legislsture of New
Jersey had passed resolution demand
ing that home labor be protected against
the pauper labor of Europe, which has
been making such terrible inroads upon
American industries during the past few
wears. The editor fondles, with gloves
for moment, the tariff question; but as
he does not declare himself positively
upon that head | will not worry you
with,a dissertation upon free trade VS.
protection but will pass it with the
plain statement that the assertion that
protection protects the laborer is lie.
The Tribune calls the agitation aaginst
the importation of foreign pauper labor
"a fresh outbreak of knownothingism."
1t is certainly very ignorant as to the
real character of the present agitation
upon that subject, or is reckless as to its
rpnrtati IN for yeracity
The agitation which is being carried on
by the workingmen of this country with
reference to foreign labor is not in oppo-
sltion to those laborers themselves; but
is against the practices of American em-
ployers, which certainly does not look
much like knownothingism. The work
ingmen of the United States are not Op-
posed to the voluntary immigration of
foreign laborers, but they do object to
their importation under contract. Here
is where the whole trouble hinges, and
if the editor of the Tribune will inform
himself upon the subject, he will find
that they have just grounds for their
complaints. If he will investigate the
matter, he will find that there are estab-
lished in the cities of this Urion agencies
whose business it is to furnish cheap Eu-
ropean labor to manufactures and rail-
roads under contract at a rate of wages
from so to IS per cent below what is re-
quired by native workmen. The men
thus brought over to this country to
work for one-half the wages paid to
home labOrers are secured under mis-
representations. They are of the most
ignorant class of Europe, and are easily
imposed upon by the slick agent, who
fires them up with promises of wages at
a rate far above what they have been ac
Customed to but he does not show them
show the cost of living in this country is
far beyond what it is in their native
lands. So ignorant and enslaved are
these creatures that it is almost impossi-
BILE to to do anything with them or make
them understand their real position,
after they have arrived in this country
and discovered the deception practiced
upon them though there have been sew
eral instances during the past year of re-
bellion against the terms of contract and
several revolts have occurred on works
where they have been employed. Be-
side that, in two or three cases, the work
men have repudiated the contracts and
returned home.
So it will be seen that the agitation
against the Importation of foreign labor
under contract, instead of being know
nothingism, is more of the reverse and