Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-09-13

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of these fheorizing reforrners. They will
decide for themselves, and for tie
country, whether The protective system
shall be continued or destroyed.
II SURPLUS.
The fact of a treasury surplus, the
ameunt of which is ysriously stated, has
attracted public attention to a considera-
ton of the methods by which the ma
tional income may be reduced to the
level of q wise and necessary expen-
diture. This condition has been seized
raacn by those who are hostile to pro-
tective customduties as an advantageous
base of attack upon our tariff laws. They
have magnified and nursed the surplus
which they affect to deprecate, seeming
ly for the purpose of eXaggerating the
evil in order to reconcile the people to
the extreme. remedy they propose. A
proper reduction of the revenues does
not necessitate, and should not suggest,
the abandonment or impairment of the
protective system. The methods sug-
gested by II convention need not be
exhausted liz order to effect the neces-
gary reduction. We are not likely to be
called upon, l think, to make q present
choice between the surrender of the
protective system and the entire repeal
VI tllb lubtIEut VdACSs ouCu d ColLil
gency, in view of the present relation
of expenditure to revenue, is re-
mote. The inspection and regula-
tion of the manufacture and sale of
oleomargarine is important, and the rev.
enue derived from it is notsso great that
the repeal of this law need enter into
any plan of revenue reduction. The
surplus now in the treasury should be
used in the purchase of bonds. The law
authorizes this use of it, and If 1t is not
needed for current or deficiency appro-
priations, the people, and not the banks
in which it has been deposited, should
have the advantage of its use, by stop
ping interest upon the public debt. AT
least those who needlessly hoard it
should not be allowed to use the fear of
a monetary stringency, thus produced,
to coerce public sentiment upon other
questions.
CONTRACT LABOR.
Closely connected with the subject OF
tariff is that of importation of foreign
laborers under contract of service to be
performed here. The law now in force
prohibiting such contracts received my
cordial support in the senate, and such
amendments as may be found necessary
effectively to deliver our workingmen
and women from the most negotiable
form of competition, will have my sincere
advocacy. Legislation prohibiting the
importation of laborers under CON
tracts to serve here will, however, afford
very Inadequate relief to our working
people il the system Of protective duties
is broken down. Ii the products of
American shops must compete in the
American markets withoutfavoring du-
ties with the products of cheap foreign
labor, the effect will be different, If at
all, only in dagree, whether the cheap
labor is across the street or over the sea.
Such competition will soon reduce wages
here to the level of those abroad,
and when that condition Is reached we
will not need any laws .forbidding the
Importation of laborers under contract.
They must have no inducement to come,
and the employer no inducement to send
for them. In the early years of our his
tory public agencies to promote immi-
grafton were common. The pioneer
wanted a neighbor with more friendly
instincts than the hunters. Labor was
plenty and fully employed, but the day
of the Immigration bureau has gone by.
While our doors will continue open to
proper immigration, we do not need to
issue special invitations to the inhab-
itants of other countries to come to our
shores or to share our citizenship. In
deed, the necessity of some inspection
and limitation is obvious. We should
resolutely refuse to permit foreign gov
ernments to send their paupers and
criminals to our ports.
THE CHINESE.
We are also clearly under a duty to de-
fend our civilization by excluding alien
races whose ultimate assimilation with
our people is neither possible nor desira-
BILE. The family has been the nucleus of
our best immigration, and the home the
most potent assimilation force in our
civilization. The objections to Chinese
Immigration are distinctive and conclu-
sive, and are now SO generally accepted
as such that the question has passed en-
tirely beyond the stage OF argument.
The laws relating to this subject would,
II I should be charged with their en-
forcement, be faithfully executed. Such
amendments or further legislation as
may be necessary and proper to prevent
eyasions of the laws, and to stop further
Chinese immigration, would also meet
my approval. The expression of the
convention upon this subject is in entire
harmony with my views. Dur civil
compact is q government by majorities,
and the law loses its sanction and the
Hagisprate our fespect, when TINS COM
paco IS oroken.
TIL PURITY OF y BALLOT.
The evil results of the election frauds
do not expend themselves upon the voters,
VIII are robbed of their rightful iniu-
ence in public affairs. The individual,
or community, or party that contrives or
| practices election frauds has suffered ir-
reparable injury, and will sooner or later
realize that to exchange the American