Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-09-13
SOME OFFICIAL INFORMATION OF
INTEREST TO WORKLNGMEN.

square shot at Candidate Mahone-the first
time they have had him squarely in front
of them to fire ballot at. Heretofore he
has been a candidate over somebody elses
shoulders. In 1879 the candidates for the
legislature stood the fire before the people
that he might get to the U. S. Senate. in
1881 VIM T.. Cameron stood the fire before
the people that Mahene might set up as
Dictator in the capitol. In 1885 John S.
Wise was the target. Malone has never had
the direct ballot-fire of the people of Vir-
ginia on himself and his record till now.
1t is for that reason that his own vulnerable
record has not attracted so much attention
the maker of it had been up before the
people But he is up this time and there
is no chance to take him down, and the
workingmen of the State should fire their
ballots into him while they have the chance.
They may depend upon it, it is his last ap-
pearance and they will never get another
show. He comes before them, remarkable
to say, on a platform which among other
false pretences to claims on the support of
thevoters of Virginia, puts up this ole:
because it favors the rights and demands
of honest labor as against convict labor, I'M
ported pauper and convict labor, &C.
For General Malone with his record on
imported labor-and the cheapest sort of
imported labOr-tO come before the work
ingmen of Virginia for their votes is un-
matched audacity. Just seven years ago.
the Democratic party in both houses of
congress undertook to get through bill
prohibiting Chinese immigration to this
country. The bill came to the Senate, of
which Gen. Malone was then a member
1t was unanimously advocated by the Dem
ocratic Senators. 1t was almost as unani-
mously opposed by the Republican Senator's.
but enough of the latter joined the Demo-
Gratis to pass it. Among the Senators who
opposed the bill were MALONE of Virgin
ia, and Benz. Harrison now President of
the United States.
The bill was advocated by the Democratic
Senators on the ground that the immigra-
ton of Chinese labor would decrease the
wages Of the American workingmen, 9th
white and black.
The Republican Senators who opposed
the bill by speeches, urged that the employ
ers of the country had right to have labor
wherever they could get it. Senator Plat
(Rep.) formulated the argument against
the bill in this wise:
''This bill strikes at principle which /
cannot abandon OF overlook. The true intent
and meaning of it is to declare that hence
FORTH excepting only the Chinese now here and
the colored people now here, no man shall
work in the United States except he be white
man. cannot give in my adhesion to such
principle. Nay, further, it is that no man.
however much he may need the skill, the
labor of the brown man, the yellow man, the
tawny man now living on foreign shores.
shall have the right to contract with that man
to come here and labor for him. 1t strikes at
the natural right of a man to labor where he
will and how he will, so that it be free labor;
and it strikes at another right, the right to
hire labor
Seeing that the bill was going to pass
in spite of them, these gentlemen attempted
to amend it SO as to admit Chinese mechan-
dcs even if the coolies were ruled out Mr..
Hoar, OF Massachusetts, offered the follow
ing amendment to the bill:
Prouided. That this bill shall not apply to
any skilled laborer who shall establish that
he comes to this country without any contract
by which his labor is the property of any per
son other than himself.
The amendment was defeated by the
folio wing vote:
4eas-Messrs. Aldrich, Allison Brown,
Conger, Davis of Illinois, Dawes Edmunds,
Frye. Hale, Harrison, Hoar, Ingalls,, McDill,
Mcmillan, MALONE, Mitchell, Morrill-17
Nays-Messrs. Bayard, Beck, Call, Cock
rell, Coke, Fair, Farley, Garland, George,
Hampton, Harris, Jackson, Jonas, Jones of
Nevada, Maxey, Miller, of Cal, Miller of n.
Y, Morgan, Plumb, Pugh, Ransom, Saun-
ders, Slater, Teller, Vance, Vest, Walker
q.
Having failed in that amendment. Mr..
Hoar of Massachusetts, offered this one:
PrOciOted further, That any laborer who
sht1l receive a certificate from the United
States consul at the port where he shall EN-
bark that he is an artisan coming to this coun-
try at his own expense and of his own free
WILL and has established such fact to the
satisfaction OF such consul, shall not be affec-
ted by this bill.
1t was also defeated by the following
vote:
1edS-MeSSrS. AIdf1cn, Allison, Brown
Conger, Davis of Illinois, Dawes, Frye, Hale
Harrison, Hoar, ingalls,, Jackson McDilI,
Mcmillan, MALONE, Mitchell, Morrill,
Plumb, Saunders-19.
Nays-Messrs. Bayard, Beck, Call, Cock
rell, Coke, Fair, Farley, George, Groome.
Hampton, Harris, Jonas, Jones of Nevada
MaXey, Miller of Cal, Miller of N. Y. Nor,
gan, Pngh, Ransom, Slater, Teller, Vance,
Vest, Walker-24.
There is a record for the workingmen of
Virginia to ponder! There will be no
trouble in verifying it; it is to be found in
the Congressional Record official of March
9Th, 1882. There is the position of the
Democratic party of the country towards
Chinese competition with American labor.
and there is the position on the same cues
tion of General VIM. Malone, now Repub
lican candidate for the position of Cover
nor OF Virginia. This candidate who
to-day stands on platform appealing to
his and his party's past record as being
opposed to imported pauper and contract
labor" is found voting to admit all
Chinese; then failing to get that, voting
to admit Chinese skilled laborers, and
then failing in that, voting to admit oil
Chinese acOrkmen Who could pGg their
acdy to the United States.
Ii the workingmen of Virginia do not