Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-07
Judge Lacombe's Decision in the Case
ofthe Belgian Glassworkers
Shows a Disastrous
DEFECT In THE ALIEN LABOR LAW.
Immigrant Inspector Layton Says There
is Nothing Now to Check
the lnfiax OF
THE PAUPER AND CRIMINAL CLASSES.
Knights Of Labor Made Fatal Mistake in Testing
the Law.

woods are looking forward to the time-but
without any degree of pleasure-when the
foreigner will own this country. By the for
eigner is understood to be meant-not nom
English speaking races geDerally-but the
undesirable element which halls from Sla-
vonia, Hungary and la bell' Italia.
The foreigner in this sense has the call of
employment at present. Contractors declare
their preferences for them, because they
work more steadily than English-speaking
workers. Their labor, as applied in mills
and factories generally, is satisfactory; they
are found to be more earnest about their
work, and more inclined to save than their
English-speaking neighbors. In the coal
and coke regions operators do not disguise
the fact that without the aid of the Hun
garian, the Slavonic race and the italian
they could not get their work done.
A DANGEROUS DECISION.
No one has been as yet found who objects
to the immigration to this country of class
of foreigners who will become as useful
members of the human brotherhood as the
majority of those who have arrived here be-
fore them, but in the opinion of good
many people in this city who are acquainted
with the labor movement in all its phases an
influx of heterogeneous foreign immigration
may result from the recent decisions anent
the construction of the alien contract law.
In the case of the three Belgian glass.
blowers who, after detention of one month
at the Barge Office, were ordered to be dis
charged BY Judge Lacombe because suff-
cient evidence of their having come to this
country under contract was not forthcoming.
It is held that the decision not slone finally
throws open the doors of the country to the
more desirable class of immigrants, but that
free admission is granted to the ragtag and
bobtail Of foreign countries who may con-
slider this free land better stamping ground
and themselves subject to less espionage
than in their native land.
ALL RESTRAINTS REMOVED.
Whatever little check the alien labor law
may have had in restraining the landing of
such undesirable immigrants is now held to
be withdrawn, and, until some amendment
to it IS effected, or other means taken to
check the inflow of the criminal and pauper
class from other countries, it is held that
the results must be OF the most unfavorable
kind.
Immigrant Inspector Robert Layton, who
knows as much about the immigration laws
as any man in the community, expressed
himself yesterday on this subject
Judge Lscombe's decision" he said,
removes the last doubt as to the inoper-
stiveness of the alien contract labor law.
A man wishing to enter this country now
has only to present himself to the Inspectors
and say that he came over to look for en-
ploYment, but without knowing where to
look for it. They cannot find in iuture any
pretext for holding, and they must allow
him to 60 about his business. The law
itself is so framed as to prove a nullity.
The first and second clauses are very spe-
cife as to what shall prove an infringement
of the act, but the last clause opens the bag
and lets all out. Here are the clauses.
CONFLICTING CLAUSES.
That from and after the passage of this act |
it shall be unlawful for any person, company, |
partnership, or corporation. in any manner |
whatsoever, to prepay the transportation. in /
any way assist or encourage the importation or |
migration of any alien or aliens, any foreigner |
or foreigners, into the United States its Ter
ritories, or the District of Columbia, under
contract or agreement parol or special. ex-
press or implied, made previous to the i'm por-
tation or migration OF such alien or aliens,
foreigner or foreigners, to perform labor or
service of any kind in the United States, its /
Territories. or the District of Columbia.
That all contracts or agreements express or
implied, parol or special, which may hereafter
be made by and between any person. company,
partnership, or corporation, and any foreigner
or foreigners. alien or aliens, to perform labor
or service or having reference to the perform
ance Of labor or service by any person in the
Omitted States, its Territories or the District
of Columbia previous to the migration or i'm
anFT Tk1n n.r~-
or service is contracted for into the United
States, shall be utterly void and of no effect
'This is the language of the first and sec
ond clauses; now observe how the loophole
is let in the last clause, which says:
Provided, That nothing in this act shall be
construed as prohibiting any individual from
assisting any member of his family or any rela-
tive or personal friend to migrate from any
foreign country to the United States, for the
purpose of settlement here.
A PRACTICAL NEGATIoN.
"This clause, you will see, is an entire
negation, practically, OF the conditions pre-
ceding it. What is to prevent anyone in
this country, or any number of people in
this country, from. uniting and furnishing
with transportation any number OF workers
they may desire to employ? How easy j. is
TO instruct them how to act, both on arrival
and when they reach their destination. The
law was held to be a good law until the
Jeanette case was tried, because previous
TO it there had been no test OF the act In
nv opinion it was a bad thing for
i. A. 800 to have forced the issue it
did because the result shows the act
to be totally incapable of holding back for
eigners who may have been notifed-or per-
haps have had dream to the effect-that
they would find employment here at certain
places. II window glass or other manu-
facturers now desire to obtain help from
abroad, under Judge Lacombe's ruling they
will be perfectly safe in doing so, provided
tbep go cautiously to work, because of the
impossibility of fin ling evidence of the con-
tract. The intention of the act was clearly
to prevent the importation OF labor under
such contracts either expressed or implied,
but its provisions, as expounded BY the
Courts, utterly fail to find effect. 1t has
been clearly demonstrated that it could be
beaten, and now everyone is beating it"
SOME DISCRETION NECESSARY.
''What remedy would you propose 2"
"Well, don't think that any remedy
should be directed especially against the
better class OF immigrants only in so far as
they come into this country under contract.
/ am not prepared to outline any plan by
which you can prove that a man is entering
the country under contract to perform work
which could be as we'll, il not better, done
BY those now 10 it 1t is q question which
even our Legislators will have difficulty in
solving. But regarding the great mass of
immigrants / can imagine way by which
the undesira BILE element could be excluded.
I would make il incumbent on our Consuls