The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-06-06
FREE TRADE IN CoMvIcr LABOR.

I
The Trenton STATE Gazette has described
the way in which Congressman Buchanan
sought to amend an appropriation bill by
increasing to a living figure the starva.
ton wages paid by this Democratic Ad-
ministration to a dozen poor laborers
about the Capitol grounds, and of the OBJ
durate refusal of the Democrats majority
to vote the inc ease. This vigilant Men,
Der put these Bourbon frauds to the test
| again on Friday, when the tariff bill came
up for consideration and amendment, and
they again proved themselves the mean
enemies of American labor. He offered
an amendment prohibiting the imrorta-
tion into this country, under severe pcnal-
| ty, of prison made goods, produced by
convict labor in foreign jails and peuiten.
tiaries.
What objection, worthy of moments
consideration by any decent man, could
be urged against this proposition None
could be offered. None was offered. The
free trade Bourbons voted it down simply
because it was against their free trade
| policy. They believe not only 10 expos
/ lug American labor to competition with
4 the pauper but also with the convict labor
of Europe,
They llfst raised the p0gnl of order
| against Mr.. Buchanan s amendment, that
it was mot gerniane When this tech
nical objection was cured, and the chair
man was obliged to rule his amendment
before the House on its merits, the Demo-
Gratis just shut their teeth aud voted it
| down by strictly party vote.
In the course of his earnest plea in IA
vor OF his amendment Mr.. Buchanan said:
The operation, Mr. Chairman, of that
provision, If enacted into law, Is obvious;
and know from the arguments and the
| appeals In the interest of labor In this
country, which have been coming up ell
| Winter from the othcr side of the House,
| that my amendment will be adopted by q
unanimous vote; aud the effect of the
amt ndment when adopted will be to pre-
vent the importation into this country of
the goods made ia the prisons of Canada
and Europe. 1t is In effect and purpose
precisely the same statue which the Do
minion of Canada has had upon her sta
ttite books ever since the year 1878; and
| il 1t Is good for Canada 1t is good for the
United States, under and in consonance
with the reasoning of gentlemen on the
other side Further than that, to day
important industries 10 my own State
have been driven to the wall. They have
suspended their operations and the men
and women engaged in the prosecution of
those industries are without employment,
because of the importation from Austrian
prisons of goods produced by convict la
Dor and sent here to sell.
Now, whatever we may think about
tariff duties, whether they should be high
or whether they should be low, and what
ever we may think of the abstract princi-
pies Of protection or free trade, 1t seems
to me every representative of American
citizens will agree with me that the labor
OF this country should be protected at
least against foreign prison labor.
But they didn't. They agreed to moth
ing Of the sort. Mr. Buchanan gave the
free trade Democracy credit Scr friend
ler and juster feeling towards American
labor than they deserve. They voted to
q man In favor of exposing that labor to
oompetition with the prison labor of the
Old World.