The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-11-03

s'S"A Soh6aO obu oRPipvCA VII hodb kIouu
old Liberty Day, July 4th, 1884.
This act may be found In full on page
$50, Appendix, Part 4, Congressional Globe,
LIST Sess., 3Sth Congress, 1904, II pro-
vides by sections
~ That the President shall have power
to appoint a Commissioner of immigration
at $500 year with three clerks, ITO dis
seminate information to prospective emil
grants
(2) That all the contracts that shall be
mdde by emigrants 70 the U. 8. in foreign
countries, under regulations that may be rs.
tabiished by said Commissioner, whereby
emigrants shall pledge the wages of their
labor for term not to exceed 12 months,
to repay the expenses OF their emigration,
shall be he'd Dalid In law, and may be en-
forced In the courts of the u s. or OF the
several States and Territories; and such ad-
vances, II 30 stipulated In the contract, and
the contract shall b. recorded In the re
corders office of the county where the en-
igrant shall settle, shall operate as a lien
upon any land thereafter acquired by the
emigrsnt, whether under the homestead lao
when the title is contaminated, or property
otherwise acquired until liquidated by the
emigrant; but nothing herein contained
shall be deemed 70 authorize any contract
contrsvening the Constitution Of the U. s.,
or creating In any way the relation of slav.
cry or servitude. OF course not!
(3) That no emigrant who shall arrive
after the passage of this act shall be com
pulsiUely enroled for military sereice during
the existing instruction, unless such emil
grant shall voluntarily renounce under oath
his allegiance to the country of his birth,
and declare his intention OF becoming
citizen of the U.s.
(D Authorizes the appointment Of
Commissioner at New York to assist emil
grants to their destination.
(o) Prohibits any land agent or person
Interested 10 the sale of lands from holding
office under the act.
90 Requires report from the Commis-
sioner
(Q. Appropriates $4,000 to carry out the
provisions Of the act
10, at time when American labor got
Its highest reward; when manufacturing
OF all kind was everywhere carried on at
enormous profit, to relieve the manufsctur.
ers from the necessity of paying the high
wages they could we'll afford TO pay, this
law Is passed for their benefit; and, lest its
benfits to manufactures might be neutral.
lied by the needs of the Army for men, 1t
was particularly provided that these men
should not be liable for military service
unless they became citizens-imposing
penalty on them for becoming citizens On
this bill Mr.. Sherman said: "If an official
document prepared from official sources
could be furnished them giving them &C
curate Information as to the needs of labor
In this country, there lie no doubt It would
encourage a great deal Of immigration. In
the western states labor is absolutely de-
common lsbOrers are receiving
very high price," sc.
Labor Was too high then; manufacturers
did not ask then for protection for the ben
eft of labor but because labor was too high
They got some relief when under this law
they could contract abroad for labor which
could not be taken from them by the re-
cruiting officer; but when the armies we're
disbanded and labor again became plenty,
the law nevertheless remained on the stat |
ute books, menace TO and a check upou
strikers against the repeated reductions of
wages manufacturers began then to make,
have made and enforced upon their men at
the penalty of filling their places with
other and cheaper foreign labor! Not only
did the republicans allow this law to stand
but they enacted besides the Chinese i'm
migration law, In spite of the protests of
the Pacific coast and such men as Allen G.
out of the great love (0
they had for labOr--of other countries than
their own!
But when the democrats came into power
In the lower house, they wiped out both
acts and compelled republican senate to
acquiesce in the oDliteration; and though
The democracy has not yet been able to ut
'erly annihilate contract or psuper immi-
grafton flor manufacturers and mine oper-
ators still find means to escape Its penalty, i!
It has made II penal offense and has
closed the doors &C ainst the flood of China
men and forever prevented the grating of
4 sprout of dead civilization of the East
upon our soil.
American Labor, as sucn, has never OBJ
aimed right from the republican party
except by force; whatever has come to it
Of free will has come from the democratic
party. The eight hour law is 20 years old
yet this democratic administration is the
first to give 1t life and operation. In this
State, the law giving the Pinkertons and
their mercenaries the right and power to
overawe workingmen was passed by a re-
publican legislation and approved by re. |
publican governor The trend of the repub, |
ican party is toward paternalism, in which |
he rights of labor per Sc invariably dlsap-
pear before the aristocracy such govern
nent creates; democracy means the free
ION of the individual to attain the highest /
him and greatest good he sets out to accom-
lgnL So l.