Daily Yellowstone journal., 1885-02-18
Wednesday, February IS. 1885.
AMERICAN LABOR.

The labor bill which originated in
and passed the house, was debated a
few days ago in the Senate, and met
little if any opposition TO speak Of.
The principal feature of the bill is the
prohibition against the importation OF
foreign labor under tie contract sys-
tenn into this country. Not only
American labor, but American capital
as well, will be affected by the opera
tion and enforcement Of such a law, If
the bill should be enacted. We un-
hesitatingly declare ourselves in favor
of such law, of beingin vital import
snce to the country especially at this
time when there are such ominous
murmurings among the laboriug
classes. An honest days work should
be honestly and fairly compensated,
and paid for in proportion to the
prices charged for the fruitstof labor.
There are to-day in all parts Of the
,ountry more than enough men ready
and willing to perform all the work
required. The importation of the off.
securing Of foreign lands to work
under contract in our mines and fac
tories and other industries is therefore
unnecessary. This imported labor
comes to our shores to work at t--starva-
ton prices, and take the work from
the hands and bread from the mouths
of our laboring men and their wives
and children. Yet prices are not
lowered and protected capital derives
all the benefits from this pauper labor.
In other words the bone and sinew of
the land is enforced to he idle that
capitalists may fatten on their pow
erty. 1t Is little wonder that under
such circumstances. the socialists,
anarchists and dynamiters find many
willing recruits among the working
classes maddened to desperation by
the inequality Of our laws which give
the capital all the protection and the
honest labor only oppression. The
class Of people who are thus imported
to compete with our workmen and
operatives is the very lowest and gath
cred from the slum1 Of the great cities
Of the old world where honesty is not
known and life of thievery has been
reduced to profession. GOOD citi-
zens cannot be made Of such people
and the consequence Of continued i'm
portation OF this class Of so-called
labor will manifest itself in marked
increase Of the criminal class in the
United States. By the eternal fitness
of things capital and labor should be
in perfect harmony. Neither is or
ever can be Independent of the other
and ii is unjust TO discriminate for or
against either. Forlyears capital has
had the benefit of a high protective
tariff, while labor has ground beneath
the unequal burdens il has been forced
to bear by reason of virtual discrim-
ination against 1t. II our law making
power would turn its attention more
TO che protection of American labor
for a while than 10 the tariff and con-
sideration of treaties which will bene-
fit only the monopolists the present
generation Of working men and their
children would rise up and call it
blessed. Refuse them the protection
they are entitled to and the masses
will soon make their power felt in a
way that will show their strength,
and be disgrace.to the country. The
bill referred 10 is the measure Of the
hour and should become Law at this
session even though some monopolists
should be disappointed in their hopes.