Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-08
TALKS TO THE WAGE WORKERS.
Senator PETER Speaks Upon Foreign Immi
grafton and Rich Men.


LABOR SHOULD BE PROTECTED As WELL AS CAP
rrAI.-rHE HISTORY OF CONTRACT LABOR LEO
IsLATIoN-rHE RICH AND POOR coNrRAsTED-
Mr. L. ". OYSTER ALSO SPEAKS AT LENGTH
Representatives OF twenty-seven trades, sew
eral lady Knights of Labor at least one gentle
man of extreme socialistic tendencies numerous
Farmers Alliance members, a delegation from
the Single Tax League, all Of tho Wage Workers
Political Alliance Con one chair) and q few
people who did not represent anything in par
ticular, were in the hall Of the Federation Of
Labor last night The meeting was one Of the
regular sessions of the Federation, ordinarily
private. but the doors had been thrown open
| because Senator PETER OF Kansas was announced
as the orator of the occasion.
1t was 8 o'clock when Mr.. Sidney Maltby
called the meeting to order and introduced E.
W. Oyster, who proceeded to enter upon an
elaborate discussion of the immigration ques-
tion. The speaker had large quantity Of
newspaper material at hand and he quoted
from 1t freely. He argued that had the advice
of the laboring people been taken fifteen years
ago there would be none of these present
troubles with foreign laboring material in the
United States. Attention was directed to the
fact that when American workingmen long ago
objected to the importation of labor the policy
they advocated was frequently referred to as
being in line with the behavior of the dog in
the manager. Those who talked that way
ten years or more ago were the ones
who did most of the complaining at this
time. The anti-contract labor law was
said to be a failure, and it was so
because 1t was not being enforced. But few
people were caught, and those who did acci-
dentally fan into the tolls were not punished as
they ought to be. Referring to the importa-
ton of Italians to work on the Aqueduct tun-
mel, Mr.. Oyster said there was nothing in the
argument that they did less work than the
native laborer and therefore should not be as
heavily remunerated. He said they did just as
much work native laborers could. Most
emphatically did he disavow the American
workingmans responsibility for the presence
of the undesirable alien element. Large en-
ployers OF labor and railroads with immense
grants of land they desired to sell at exorbitant
rates must bear the burden.
THE ONLY REMEDY.
The only remedy was to give labor the same
protec ton as was now afforded capital The
American manufacturer got all the protection
he needed. and that same support should be
given the laborer. The tariff would have to be
placed on labor itself and ii the same relative
| tariff was laId on labor that had been placed on
the products of labor the tax on each foreigner
coming to this country would be from $500 to
$500 per head. That would be practical prohi-
bition.
The milionaires of the country then re-
ceived some attention and especial mention
was made of the statement that William Waldorf
Aston was the possessor of @l25. 100000. His in
come at seven per cent, was IS, ,0e0 The
average wages of the labOring man in this coun-
try would be about 81 per day. or if he worked
every week day in the year, S3l3 per annun.
If one laboring man worked every day for
5000 years and saved all ne earned he would
not have one-fourth much as Mr.. Aston
! ceiyed in one year. 1t would take a laborer
1888 years-or take q $50 laborers one year of
3l3 days-to equal the Aston incomes an income
which was derived from the labor Of the men
who didn't get the income.
What are you going to do about it?' re-
marked q gentleman in the audience.
Mr.. Oyster did not know but he thought
Senator PETER might offer suggestion or two.
1t enough for him to state that no man
could accumulate SO much money a million
Oyster talked for one hour and ten minutes and
then gave way to Senator PETER, who had been
patiently waiting his opportunity.
SENATOR PETERS SPEECH.
This immigration question" said the Kan
san, was one of especial interest to this coun-
try from the beginning of its history. We are
a nation of foreigners" The settlements at
jamestown and at Plymouth were composed of
foreigners. and until the birth of Virginia Dare
all the white people on this side of the Atlantic
were foreigners. Objection to the immigra-
ton of foreigners was quite recent and natur-
ally so, because the early immigration was by
men and women who desired to become part
and parcel OF this republic. The whole world
was welcome even now if it only desired to be-
come amalgamated.
CONTRACT LABOR LEGISLATION.
The history OF contract-labor legislation was
then briefly sketched, the Senator displaying
some surprise because there was general ig-
norance to the first act of Congress on this
subipcf IL became a laW ba ,ai1 on Jul A
1864. and it authorized any American to go into
any part of the world to engage labor under
contract. The railroad companies and the
manufacturers wanted more people in the
country and they wanted cheaper people. Eu-
rope was flooded with advertising literature in
which people were urged to come here and
buy lands along the lines of railroad. The
whole Of this trouble resulted from the greed
OF avarlce, Was the work OF the money power.
A gentleman in the audience had asked the
previous speaker what he was going to do
about it. The first thing to do was to find out
what was wrong. One of the things that was
wrong had been stated. 1t was wrong when a
great many thousand men had to work a year
to equal one man income at per cent. sup
pose the . per cent Was stricken out; suppose
the power OF money was destroyed. The SEN
atOr spoke with much warmth at this point,
and he was appiauded.
The condition of 235,OO0 rich families was
compared with that of 12,O0O,O00 poor ones,
and then Mr. PETER urged every one present to
become missionaries to educate the people.
The next thing to be DONE said he. sis to
quit this dividing of our forces. Get together,
men and women! Bring your forces together
along one line. Idon't care what you call that
line so long you don't call it republican or
democratic. There was applause following
this latter remark, but the clapping of hands
and the stamping of feet could not overpower a
well-developed hiss. There evidently one
partisan in the room.
The Senator advised the workiugmeu to alb
stain from supporting any other candidates
than those coming from their own ranks: such
men would represent them fairly and wouid
not be above their creators. He ridculed
Senator Edmunds' sentiments as expressed in
an interview published in Mondays EVENING
STAR; called him DR.. Edmunds and made satiri-
cal reference TO his diagnosis OF the political
situation Mr.. PETER said the people would
not take DIR. Edmunds medicine because they
were raising up doctors of their own; doctors
of newer and better school than the old
aNopaths.
Il will stop now" said the Senator, because
am not In good condition to talk. came
down here, though, because L wanted to iden-
tlfy myself with you workingmen and women.
God bless the women, / came because I
wanted you to know that if live and am
going to live. there will be one man in the Sem
ate who will not be ashamed to introduce
measures framed by you. Here the wage
workers political alliance started to get of his
chair and applaud And not only will not be
ashamed, but not afraid to advocate them. Let
I each man and woman become n com mitte of ar 4.