The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-09-26

the American scale of wages by adequat,
discriminating duties upon foreign com
peting products. The effect of lower rate.
and larger importations upon the public
revenue is contingent and doubtful, but
not so the effect upon American produc.
ton and American wages. Less work and
lower wages must be accepted as the inev-
table result of the increased offering oi
foreign goods in our market. BY way OF
recompense for this reduction in his wages
and the loss of the American market, it is
suggested that the diminished wages of
the workingman will have an undimin-
ished purchasing power, and that he will
be able to make up for the loss of the lpome
market by an enlarged foreign market.
Our workingmen have the settlement of
/ the question in their own hands. They
now obtain higher wages and live more
| comfortably than those of any other
country. They will make choice between
the substantial advantages they have on
hand and the deceptive promises and fore
casts Of these theorizing roformers. They
| will decide for themselves and for the
country whether the Protective system
shall be continued or destroyed.
now TO USE THE SURPLUS.
The fact of Treasury surplus, the
amount of which is variously stated, has
directed public attention to a consideration
of the methods by which the national in
come may best be reduced to the level of
a wise and necessary expenditure. This
condition has been seized upon by those
who are hostile to Protective customs du-
ties as an advantageous base. of attack
upon our tariff laws. They have magni-
fed and nursed the surplus, which they
affect to deprecate, seemingly for the pur-
poses of oxaggerating the evil in order to
reconcile the people to the extreme reme-
dy 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 suggested by our Convention
will not need to be exhausted in order to
effect the necessary reduction. We are
not likely to be called upon, think, to
make a present choice between the sur
render of the Protective system and the
entire repeal of the internal taxes. Such
a contingency in view of the present re-
lation of expenditures to revenues is re-
mote. The inspection and regulation of
the manufacture and sale of oleomargarine
is important, and the revenue derived
from it is not so great that the repeal of
the law need enter into any plan of reve-
nue. reduction.
The surplus now in the Treasury should
be used in the purchase of bonds. The
law authorizes this use of it, and if it is
not needed for current or deficiency APP
preparations, the people, and not the banks
in which it has been deposited, should
have the advantage of its use by stopping
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 IMMIGRATION.
Closely connected with the subject of
the tariff is that of the importation of
foreign laborers under contracts 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 this most inequitable form of
competition will have my sincere advoca-
cy. Legislation prohibiting the importa-
ton of laborers under contracts to serve
here will, however, afford very inadequate
relief to our working people if the system
of Protective duties is broken down. If
f1,a D4a &c A -
compete in the American market without
favoring duties with the products of cheap
foreign labor, the effect will be different,
if at all, only in degree, whether the cheap
laborer 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 shall not need
any laws forbidding the importation of
laborers under contract-they will have
no inducement to come, and the employer
no inducement to send for them. In the
earlier years of our history public agencies
to promote immigration were common.
The pioneer wanted a neighbor with more
friendly instincts than the Indian. Labor
was scarce 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 mean to
issue special invitation to the inhabitants
of other countries TO come to our shores
or to share our citizenship. Indeed, the
necessity OF some inspection and limita-
ton is obvious.
We should resolutely refuse to permit
foreign governments to send their paupers
and criminals to our ports. We are also
clearly under a duty to defend our civili-
zation by excluding alien races whose
ultimate assimilation with our people is
neither possible or desirable. The family
has been the nucleus of our best immi-
grafton and the home the potent assimi-
lative force in our civilization. The OBJ
jections to Chinese immigration are dis
tinctiye and conclusive and are now so
generally accepted as such that the ques-
ton has passed entirely beyond the stage
Of argument. The laws relating to this
subject would, if should be charged with
their enforcement, be faithfully executed.
Such amendments or further legislation
as may be necessary and proper TO prevent
evasions OF the laws and to stop further