Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-08-23
ZsrI1,tnt1t GItrnttirlf.
THURSDAY, AUGUST %, 1888.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
ANp TnE cHNEsE orEsTIoN.

NIcN tldul' ncdNN a. llC IS IllAliho AC Nau
follow the example of Denis Of the sand
Lots. It is a noble emulatiOn-faith it
is. Now. as a countryman of Mr.. Kear-
news. a fellow-citiZen of Cleveland's, l
would, with your permission, take
short look at the ascending ladder of
Denis and Cleveland-the Chinese ques-
ton.
As an Irishman, wishing to know the
facts and speak the truth, have gone
over the Congressional Globe and care
fully examined General HarrisOn's votes
and remarks on the Chinese question.
The result is that l would this moment,
as catholic, stand before the judgment
seat of my God and say in His presence:
The man who accuses General Harrison
of voting for, or advocating the intro
duction of Coolie labor into America, is
a downright liar. General Harrison
could not vote for the introduction of
Coolie labor into this country without
voting directly against the principles of
the Republican party. because from the
hour of its birth up to this the party OF
benjamin Harrison has never ceased to
advocate the wiping ont of degraded
labor and the protection of free labor.
In December, 1861, Mr.. Thomas d.
Elliot, of Massachusetts, brought up a
bill in the L. ). House of Representa-
tives, prohibiting the importation of
Coolie labor into this country. This bill
received the support of the whole party,
and was signed by Abe Lincoln, Febru-
ary Is, 1862. While the Republican par
ty were thus checking Chinese immigra-
ton, the Democratic party were using
fire and sword for the purpose of impOs-
ing slave labor and Chinese labor upon
America. Is it not so?
On January 16, 1867, our immortal
Sumner secured the passage of a resolu-
ton asking the other civilized nations
to unite with US in suppressing Coolie
labor altogether. This was before the
Democracy Of the South ceased to apply
the term ''mud sills' to American work
ingmen. Is not this fact?
In 1870 Mr.. Henry Wilson, Of MaSSa-
chusetts, introduced into the U. 5. Sen
ate bill to put a complete stop to the
introduction into this Republic of Chi
nese workingmen. That bill reflected
the views Of the Republican party and
received its support. because the Repub
lican party has always been the party of
honest, manly labor; and Ben Harrison
could not have voted for the introduc-
tion of Coolie labor without placing him
self in direct opposition to that party
and to its cherished doctrines.
In his message of December Z, 1874,
General Grant said: 81 call the atten-
tiOn of Congress to a generally conceded
fact, that the great bulk of Chinese
wOrkingmen come to this country under
contracts. If this practice can
be legislated against, it viii be my duty
and my pleasure to enforce any regula-
tiOn to secure so desirable an end" It
will be seen from this record that Ben
jamin Harrison could not have voted for
the importation of Coolie labor without
first placing himself in direct conflict
with his party. Mr.. Harrison never did
vote for any act or part of an act favor
ing the importation OF the employment
of Coolies.
Have the Democratic calumniatOrs of
Harrison stuck their heads in the sand,
like the ostrich, and imagined that its
record on the Chinese question is unno
ticed and unknown? Fools and knaves
will think many a thing, but look at
this as bit of Democratic history:
California was agitated over this Chi
nese question as early as 1855. At the.
urgent demand of the workingmen the
Legislature of 1856 appointed a Demo-
cratic Committee 20 inquire into the sub
lect, and that Democratic Committee re-
ported to the Democratic Legislature in
favor Of letting the importation Of Chi
nese labor go unchecked. In 1859 Mr..
Reed, our Democratic Minister to China,
drew up treaty allowing the free ad
mission of COolie labor into America.
That treaty was ratified by Demo-
cratic Congress and approved by James
Buchanan. In 1862 the first R2pubIi-
can Governor of California called upon
the Republican Legislature to exclude
Chinese labor; the Legislature did so,
but the Democratic Supreme Court de
clared the act null and void. In 1859
the Democratic Legislature of California
granted immense tracts of lands to rail
road corporations. The white labor of
the State demanded that the act be
amended so as to prevent those railroads
from employing Chinese labor; such an
amendment was offered, but the purse
proud Democrats of California voted
down that amendment by three to one.
This is only mere outline of what
may be said and what will be said on
the records of both parties on the cheap
and dear labor questions.
1t is not many months since the Dem
Ocratic Chairman Of the last Committee
of Ways and Means said to committee
of wOrkingmen: "The wages of Ameri-
can and European workingmen must
come to level sooner or later, and the
sooner the better" 1t is not many days
since leading Democrat from Texas
asserted in Congress that Americans
have perfect right to buy everything, in
Guiding labor, where they can buy the
cheapest. Is not this the cardinal prin-
ciple of the Democratic party? Is not
this the principle upon which Grover
Cleveland acted when he demanded that
the Legislature of New York should re-
duce the wages Of the pilots to level
with the wages paid at foreign ports?
Well return to this subject another day;
it is nice one.
THE White House was not draped in
mourning for the death of Gen. Sheri-
dan. Mr.. Cleveland was probably too
busy writing pension vetOes to think of
ordering such mark of respect for the
memory of the highest officer of the
army.
TIE best bargain and the best paper
we know of IS TIE SCRAP Book. pub
Hshed at GAINESVILLE. 0. 1t is only tiOen-
tg.tiCe cents year Cn all nearly 100 pages
and each subscriber also receives a pair
of Suspenders worth more money. This
is reliable Write for it.
FASHIONABLE lady, coming out of
church: "Nhat a powerful sermon; |
yUae navar hpfora ca ir,praSSad ,,,itb +la