, 1889-09-26
EXCLUDE THESE FELLOWS.

EXCLUDE THESE FELLOWS.
Tho executive order issued by Presi-
dent Harrison, excluding the admission
of Cinnamon over the British Columbia
line, into the United States through
Washington, means II great deal more
than is expressed upon Its face. 1t
emphasizes the principle laid down by
the republican party, and reiterated in
all Its platforms, that the American
manufactures, the American artisan and
the American laborer must be protected
against competition with the oilscour.
ings of all the earth, whether
thoy happen to be Mongolians
seeking u ioothold IN this country, or
whether they are dwclers of the huts
and novels of free trade Europe.
Sympathizing deeply with the down.
trodden working classes Of all the Euro
penn and fur Eastern countries wherein
the principle of free trade Is enforced,
the republican party still adhercs to the
belieft that 1t is the duty of this govern
ment to shield and protect its own citi-
zcns against invnsions by foreign com
petilors, whether they appear In person
or by the products of their handicrait
Tho foreigner who comes to these
shores under contract to labor for less
wages than those which the American
laborcrs have established, under the law
OF supply and demand and In consideru-
ton OF the relative bearing of wages and
the cost of living, is on Il par with tho
adventurous Coolie, who can live on rice
and rats and still save money to send
hack to his kinsmen in the ilowery king
dom.
There was n great gap along tho
British Columbia line fIcing Washing
ton, chat was wholly unprotected against
invasion by Chinese. This was clearly
demonstrated when barrels OF opium
were snlugglod through Spokane
Falls rs sauer-krdut. The demo
cratic administration at Washington was
appealed to in vain, and the local
authorities were forced to utilize the
limitcd resources ut their command for
the suppression OF this great evil. In II
limited measure they succeeded, but the
people kept up the clamor and renewed
the appeal to the government at Wash
ingtOn. The result was the prompt
appointment of inspectors for the Col
willie district, to enforce the Chinese ox-
clusion act and I'LL it's attendant require
mcnts. With the exclusion OF the Chi.
nese. through this avenue, will 80 the
exclusion of opium smuggling and the
importation of contract labor will be
made impossible, so far MS this hitherto
unprotected portion of the Canadian
border is concerned.
Had this action been delayed much
longer the conditions prevailing along
the coast of Maine might have been rca-
sonably expected here. There the con-
tract labor law has been Hagrantly vio-
lated and foreign workingmen have
been imported by contract whenever
their services could be obtained at n
lower rate than that prevailing ON this
side of the line. Not only this, but it
has been the custom In several localities
in Maine, near the New Brunswick
border, to employ proyincials to work
on this side who live on the other.
BY this arrangement they are
enabled 10 work at wages much
lower than Americans are will
ing to accept, which results in more or
less dissatisfaction among our own peo-
pie. During the administration of
Srcsficnt Cleveland numerous com
plants were made, but nothing ever
came of them.
1t Is the aim of the republican party
to enforce all laws on this subject for
the protection of the American indus
trial classes, and the present administrn-
tion is moving careitilly but with un-
ilinchlng determination in thai
direction.