The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-02-25

Is that they must continue for all time q
system of taxation, necessitated once BY
the transient eylgencies Of rebellion of
more than quarter of century ago, to
escape the calamities of competition
with the pauper labor of the old world and
that of Europe In particular And right
here wish to ask every honest friepd of
the American laborer If the laboring classes
of every nation on the face of the earth,
with but one exception, are not at liberty
to enter the territory of the United States
by an unobstructed highway, limited In
breadth only by our ten thousand miles of
sea coast and frontiers to enter into com.
petition with american la1org Nor is this
all for In the last twenty years Of our high
tariff on foreign products, hundreds OF
thousands of laborers In Europe have been
hired by the agents of corporations, com.
panles and individuals engaged in enter
prises requiring labor in this country. who
paid the expenses of their transportation
hither to take the place Of american labor
Withholding a per cent. of their wages till
their fare is repaid. And such are still the
conditions under which large per cent. of
the emigrants are passing our ports of
entry in defiance of law of our country
against foreign contract labor. This being
tae disadvantage forced upon American
labor, l will here draw the text of bill
and call 1t "A Law for the Protection of
American Labor" and invite comparison
of 1t with our present existing tariff laws
which haye been framed with special re-
gard to the protection of American indus
tries:
"Be it enacted by the People of the United
States, in Congress assembled:
ARTICLE /, No company, corporation,
trust, syndicate, Tor individually incorpora-
ted by any of the United States, indiviuu-
ally or collectively, existing or dwelling
within the territory or jurisdiction of the
United States, shall exact any service or
labor of any person or persons of foreign
birth and unnaturalized, in pursuance or
fultllment of any contract agreement, or
bargain entered into by such company, cor
poration, trust syndicate or individual, as
employer, as party or parties of the first
part, and person or persons of foreign birth
and unnaturalized, as employee as party or
parties of the second part, without first
going before justice of the peace, notary
public or officer having jurisdiction, and
filing such contract for record, and paying
to revenue commissioner, whose office
shall be in connection with the office of
record, sum equal to fifty per cent of the
salary or wages for the time such contract
agreement or bargain is to extend.
Sec. 2. M contract by any company,
corporation, trust, syndicate or individual
shall be exempted from the obligations
specified in Article of this act, by the
fact that the party or parties of the second
part having fulfilled one contract. but for
each and every contract shall comply with
the requirements named.
"Sec. 3. No application for naturaliza-
ton Of any foreigner shall be filed in any
court until such person shall have resided
two years in the district where he makes
application, and said application shall have
the support of two reputable citizens who,
under oath, declare that they know the ap-
plant to be of good moral character.
article 8. All contracts entered into as
specified in Article of this act, save that
when the employe, having filed his inten-
tons for naturalization and furnished evi.
dence of good moral character, the party
or parties of the first part shall pay the
sum equal to twenty. five per cent. Of the
salary as wages for the time such contract
or bargain is to extend.
Article 4. No person OF foreign birth
shall receive and enter into the privileges
of citizenship until he has been resident
ia the United States for the time of seven
wears and served a probation, with good
record of moral conduct for five years after
filing application for naturalization"
Now, ask any friend of fair trade If
such law on our national statutes would
be any more Objectionable rs discriminat-
ing against incorporated capital invested in
the manufacturing and mining industries
of this country than our present tariff laws
are in their operations against american
labor as have defined it. Il. M.
FREEDOM, ILL, Feb, 20.