The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1891-07-11
The Tariff and the WOrkipgman.

We called attention the other day
| briefly to the increased immigration
since the Mckinley law went into eff
feet saying:
Thus the Mckinley measure catches
| the masses coming and going. 1t
whipsaws us all in higher prices out
OF the bounty it thus yields attracts
more millionaries like bees to a rich
honey find and with the swelling
tide of laboring people setting in from
the old world beats down still further
this Item OF expense to the capitalist.
In the last number of the Forum ex-
Congressman McAdoo has a paper dis
cussing this thing. 1t is worthy of
very serious attention, particularly
American workinemen. He says:
We have shut out the cheap foreign
watch, blanket, tin-sheet, glass pane.
and steel rail but the cheaper foreign
worker, hand to hand with hunger, un-
derbids American labor in the home
market that we boast was made for it
alone. We have reared around our
custom houses. 10y our inhibition of
foreign goods, adamantine walls, high
enough to stop the free movement of
the winds Of heaven and deep enough
to shut out natural gas of drinking
water Canada and Mexico: but around
our Immigrant depots. against the
swelling tide of immigration, we have
strung few statutory cobwebs.
Mr.. McAdoo anticipates the retort of
protectionists that they will increase
the restrictive immigration laws.
Does any one really think that those
powers that be would. in earnest adopt
measures that would make labor scarce
and 50 Increase their expenditures
And I'D fact is not such legislation i'm
possible ? Of course it il. Thus Mr.
McAdoo:
Ii, for instance, the present prohib-
ltory tariff should etfectually close tie
American market to the product of the
Welsh tin mills, or OF the Austrian
pearl button factories, the Welsh and
Austrian operatives, whose home
manufactures would consequently be
closed, and who would be forced to
come to our ''holne Market would
perhaps meet the requirements of the
most stringent restrictive immigrant
law and yet be most undesirable ad
dltlon to our population.
And then places III juxataposition
these two pictures:
A few weeks ago the high tariff
newspapers printed with glee the fol-
lowing cable dispatch "The effect of
the Mckinley bill on the mother Of
pearl workers of Vienna has been seri
ous. Official reports show that out of
5000 only 1000 are following their
trade. The rest are making plecari-
Gus living as best they can"
These 1900 workmen thus out of
by the effects of our law
will soon be clamoring at our factory
doors. and Mr. McAdoo imagines them |
saying.
Let us in; lower than the lowest
price you now pay for labor, we offer
ours to swell your profits. Our seanty
means, COTTON in a 'precarious. way are |
The Welt is not at our
doors. our only door Is that of tle
almshouse, but he has already fastened
his fan9s upon MS, our wives and onr
little ones. We We're happy in our na-
tive land; we loved our homes. onr in
Stltutions, our traditions, customs and
habits but you reached you powerful
arm over the sea and took away o,,r
bread, and now, perforce, we stand
here at your door and be- g for work.
We did You 10 harm in the dear old
and we left; we ate your wheat and
pork and thought kindly of vou and
wished You well. We see vour own
workers here clamoring forw work them
selves we are their brothers. and do
lot wish to interfere with them hut
hunger is cruel, and these women and
children sitting here in Your streets
iresse1 in heavy, honest European
Noollens are tired and hot and weary
lnder this American summer sun.
This Is just what is coming to pass.
)ur immigration is now at the heaviest
ate known in our history. For the
llne months ending with March of
his year 316,227 immigrants came.
cor the same nine months last wear
%, ,iO3 came. This prodigious late
: increase is increasing still with