Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-06-13
A PERNIcIous SYSTEM.

The Republican Party Responsible for the
Introduction of Imported Contract La
Dor.
The Republicans writhe very naturally
under the charge brought against their
party by the Michigan State Democratic
convention, Of responsibility for "the per-.
nicious system ofimported contract labor.n
Some OF the more brazen OF them deny, and
talk OF " ridiculous statements - and
" atrocious falsehoods;' but the intelligent
Republicans simply vince under the blow
and hold their peace. They know that con-
tradiction is sure TO bring out the proof;
and, aching as they are for the labor vote,
they do not want the proof produced.
The proof must however, be produced,
lest some needless friend of labor may con-
clude that the charge of the Democratic
convention was mere partisan exaggera-
ton, which is sufficiently met by naked
denial The proof is easy. 1t is found in
the Congressional Record and the United
States Statutes; and whatever else may be
said Of either, it can not be truthfully said
that they are Enthusiastically.
In 1864, when Congress was Republican IN
both branches, it passed an act authorizing
q Commissioner of immigration; but which
was construed by the Republican State De-
partment TO create a Bureau Of Immigra-
ton The Commissioner was to have a,
clerk in Washington and superintendent
In New York. They were empowered to
make rules and regulations and to author
lac contracts TO be made for the Importation
OF immigrants from abroad, which con-
tracts the law declared should be valid and
enforceable in the courts of the United
States. Gan contracts" the act provided,
"that shall be made TO emigrants TO the
United States in foreign countries in con-
formity TO regulations that may be estab-
hshed by the said Commissioner whereby
emigrants shall pledge the wages of their
labor for a term not exceeding twelve
months to repay the expenses Of their en-
igration shall be held 10 be valid in law"
1t was provided, also, that the emigrant's
agreement 10 repay the amount advanced
for his passage money and expenses should
be lien upon any real estate he might ac-
quire under the Homestead act or otherwise
and should have the effect of a mortgage.
The act was passed, as its operation
showed, for the benefit of an immigration
company In New York which was contract
ing abroad for foreign labor and wanted
the power Of the Government TO enable it
10 enforce its contracts. Some Of the poor
devils who were hired NJ starvation prices
wanted better pay when they got here.
This law was intended TO hold them to their
agreement and to prevent their demand
Ing the going rate Of wages in this coun-
try; and a Republican Congress lent the
aid Of the Government 20 the business.
The act looked so much like a provision
for enslaving immigrants that the trainers
were compelled 20 put in a saving clause.
IL was expressly provided in the act that
" nothing herein contained shall be
deemed to authorize any contract contra
venting the constitution of the United
States or creating in any way the relation
Of slavery or servitude.n
II was thus, says the Detroit Free Press,
that the Republican party, controlling every
department Of the Government, inaugurated
the "pernicious system of imported con-
tract labor" The importation had been at
tempted before without any law It had
been attempted by the New York Immlgra-
ton Company and by individual employers
Of labor. But il had not been a success; and
the Republican party undertook 10 make it
success by throwing the whole weight Of
the Government on the side Of the employ
ing contractor against the immigrant and
against the wOrking-man in this country,
with whom this imported contract labor was
TO compete.
Some of'the more intelligent Republican
leaders in Congress recognized the enormity
Of the act, but not until an effort was made
to amend IL 80 as TO tie more effectually the
hands of the laborer imported under. con-
tract. In 1866 a bill was introduced to
amend the act Of 1864. II provided among
other things that If the employer was COM
PEELED to enforce his claim for advances, the
laborer should forfeit double the amount re-
naming unpaid. II provided, also, that the
employer might follow the debtor laborer
and impound his wages anywhere in the
country; and that any new employer of the
debtor might be compelled to elect whether
he would discharge him or retain him and
pay the importing employer his bill of ad-
vances.
Senator Morrill,, to whose committee the
bill was referred, had his attention called
by il to the act of 1864, and instead of re-
porting In favor Of the bill to amend that
act, recommended the repeal of that act.
His remarks upon the character of the act
Gong. Globe, 1st session 39th Congress,
Part ", p. 1910 and following) show that he
at least understood how thoroughly OBJ
jectionable was the act and the system for
which it provided. Other Republican Sem
ators, among them Sprague, of Rhode
Island, defended the act; and, though the
amendments were not adopted, the act was
not repealed.
The Republicans never repealed Il. That
was left for Democratic Congress. The
attempt was made in 1884, and on the 10Th
OF June in that year bin "to prohibit the
importation and migration of foreigners
and aliens under contract or agreement to
perform labor In the United States, its Ter
ritories or the District of Columbia"
passed the House 1t was reported in the
Republican Senate, but not considered
But, at an early date in the second session
a -
taken up and passed. and on the Goth Of
February, 1885, it was approved by the
President.
These are the facts; and though the or
ganic Republicans rage and imagine vain
thing, they can not wipe them out. The
Democratic indictment of the &. o. D. for
its responsibility for "the pernicious sys-
tenn of imported contract labor" must be
Endorsed ga true bfU."