Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-09-20


Legislation prohibiting the importation Of
laborers under contracts TO serve here will,
however, afford very inadequate re-
lief to our working people IL the system OF
protective duties Is broken down. II the
products of American shops must compete
in the American market without favoring
duties with the products OF cheap foreign
labor, the effect will be different, IL at all,
only in degree whether the cheap labor is
across the street or over the sea. Such
competition will soon reduce wages here TO
the Lowell of those abroad, and when that
condition is reached we win not need any
avs forbidding the importation of labor
ers under contract-they will have no in
ducement TO come, and the employer no
inducement 10 send for them.
In the earlier years of our history public
agencies to promote immigration were com
mon. 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 need to issue
special invitations to inhabitants Of other
countries TO come to our shores or TO share
our citizenship. Indeed, the necessity Of
some inspection and limitation is obvious
We should resolutely refuse to permit
| foreign governments TO send their paupers
| and criminals TO our ports.
We are also clearly under duty to de
| fend our civilization by excluding alien
| races whose ultimate assimilation with our
people Is neither possible nor desirable.
| The family has been the nucleus OF our
| best immigration and the home the most
| potent assimilating force in our civilization.
| The objections to Chinese immigration
| are distinctive and conclusive, aud are now
| so generally acceded as such that the ques-
| ton has passed entirely beyond the stage
| of argument. The laws relating TO this
subject would, if l should be charged with
Il raaN he tod
| Such amendments or future legislation as
may be necessary and proper TO prevent
evasions of the laws and to stop further
| Chinese immigration, would also meet my
| approval. The expression OF the conven-
ton upon this subject is in entire harmony
| with my views.
| Our civil compact is government by
majorities; and the law loses its sanction
and the magistrate its respect when this
| compact is broken. The evil results OF
| election frauds do not eXpend themselves
! upon the voters who are robbed OF their
| rightful influence in public affairs. The
| individual, or community, or party, that
| practices or cOnnives at election frauds,
J has suffered irreparable injury and will
| sooner or later realize that TO exchange the
| American system of majority rule for mi
nority control is not only unlawful and un-
| patriotic, but very unsafe for those who
promote it. The disfranchisement of a
single legal clector by fraud or intimidation
| is crime too grave TO be regarded lightly.
| The right of every qualified e!ector 10 cast
one free ballot and to have it honestly
counted must not be questioned. Every
| constitutional power should be used TO make
this right secure and punish frauds upon
| the ballot
Our colored people do not ask special leg
| islation in their interests, but only to be
made secure in the common rights of Amer
lean citizenship. They will, however, nat
leaders who appeal to their race for sup
port only in those localities where the suf-
| frage is free and election results doubtful
and compass their Acknowledgement where
the votes would be- controlling and their
choice cannot be coerced.
The nation, not less than the states, is de-
pendent for prosperity and security upon
the intelligence and morality of the people.
This common interest very early suggested
national aid in the establishment and en-
dowmeflt of schools and colleges in the new
states. There is, believe, present ex-
igency that calls for still more liberal and
direct appropriations in aid Of common
school education in the states.
The territorial form of government is q
| temporary expedient, not a permanent
civil condition. IL is adapted 90 the ext
gency that suggested il. but becomes mad
| equate and even oppressive when applied
| to fixed and populOus communities Sew
burdens and discharge the duties of free
commonwealths in the American union. To
| exclude them is TO deny the just rights OF
their people and may well excite indignant
| protest. No question of the political pref
| erence of the people of a territory should
close against them the hospitable door
| which has opened 10 two thirds of the eX-
listing states But admission should be
resolutely refused to any territory major
ity of whose people cherish institutions
that are rcpugnant to our civilization or in
consistent with republican form OF gov
eminent.
The declaration of the convention against
"all combinations of capital organized in
trusts or otherwise, TO control arbitrarily
the condition of trade among our citizens, "
| is in harmony with the views entertained
| and publicly expressed by me long before
| the assembling Of the convention. Ordinar-
lily, capital shares the losses Of idleness
| with labor; but under the operations OF the
trust, in some of its forms, the wageworker
alone suffers loss, while idle capital re-
ceives its dividends from a trust fund. Pro
ducers who refuse to Join the combination
are destroyed, and competition as an ele-
ment of prices is eliminated, 1t cannot be
doubted that the legislative authority
should and will find method of dealing
fairly and effectively with these and other
abuses connected with this subject.
1t can hardly be necessary for me to say
| Iudb all HtdTbllN III illpdJhJ Nlbu buc
declaration Of the convention upon the sub
ject of pensions to our soldiers and sailors.
What they gave and what they suffered
had some opportunity TO observe and in a
small measure to experience. They gave
ungrudgingly; It was not trade, but an
Offering. The measure was heaped up,
running over. What they achieved only a
distant generation can adequately tell.
Without attempting to discuss particular
propositions 1 may add that measures in
behalf of the surviving veterans of the war
and of the families of their dead comrades
should be conceived and executed in a
spirit of justice and the most grateful liber-
atty, and that, in the competition for civil
appointment, honorable military service
should have appropriate recognition.
The law regulating appointments TO the
classified civil service received my support
in the senate, in the belief that it opened
the way to a much needed reform. / still
think so, and therefore cordially approve
the clear and forcible expressions of the
convention upon the subject. The law
should have the ala of q friendly interpre-
tation and be faithfully and vigorously en-
forced. All appointments under it should
be absolutely free from partisan considera-
tions and influence. Some extensions of
the classified list are practicable and de-