The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-14
SEATTLE. rUEsDAT. JUNE ~.
THE PLATFORM AND IMMIGRA-
TIOS.

The Republican platform, framed at
Minneapolis. includes the following:
We favor the enactment of stringent laws and
regulations for the restriction of criminal,
pauper and contract immigration
This plank of the platform needs no
elucidation as to why the Republican
party favors che restriction of criminal or
paupcr immigration; the plea against the
coming of a vast stream of criminals and
paupers is as simple as that which justi-
fies the refusal of the law to
let man connect his sewer with
his neighbours well of drinking water;
the public health suffers when the well
becomes poisoned. The plea for the strin-
gent restriction of contract immigration
really rests upon the same logic pleaded
for the policy of protection. If it were
not for our policy of protection the wages
of the American workingman would fall
to the level of the European workingman,
for otherwise the American manufacturer
would be obliged to go out of business.
The restriction upon contract immi-
grafton is consistent with the philosophy
of the policy of protection to American
industry, because a tidal wave of cheap
labor would tend to degrade the American
workingman by forcing his wages down to
the level of the toilers of Europe. About
twenty-five years ago the great orator and
philanthropist, Wendell Phillips, dis
cussed the Chinese question in the cole
ums of the Anti-Stauoy Standard Mr..
Phillips held that immigration to be safe
and helpful must be spontaneous; must
be the result of individual will
obeying the laws of industry and the
tendencies Of the age. Among other
things he said, Immigration of labor is
an unmtxed good. Importation of human
freight is an unmixed evil" Mr.. Phillips
pointed out that it was easily possible for
associated capital to flood the labor market
with Chinese; and if they were given, as
every other immigrant was, the ballot, their
vote would enable their importers to con-
troll the ballot box by their bond servants.
Assuming, however. that suffrage was
denied this imported human freight il was
easy to figure its influence upon the labor
ing classes. The Chinaman would make
shoes for IS cents day, while the average
wages for such work in Massachusetts, in
1870 was 81 The native American work
ingman met similar competition from Irish
and German immigration, but it never
harrassed HIM, because they came in such
natural and moderate numbers as to be
easily absorbed without producing any i'll
effect ON wages, which continued steadily
10 advance. The Importation of Chinese
in overwhelming masses by the concerted
action of capital would, however, crush
the labor OF America down TO o pauper
level for many years 10 come.
Every lover of progress deplores the in
PRODUCTION here of any element which will
lessen wages. The handspring of our
progress is better wages-that is, wages ut
such n level that the workingman has dol
lar left over Saturday night after all neces-
sary bill are paid. Mr.. Phillips said. "Wages
that are high enough 20 allow the work
ingman 10 lift himself little from the
deadening routine OF toll stand for Amer
lean progress, mean education, indie
pendence, sei-respect, manhood. increase
the value Of every acre near by. ill the
town with dwellings. open public libraries
and crowd them, dot the continent with
cities. cohweb il with railways. guar
antee protection 90 capital better
than score OF statutes, make armies
and police superauous. 90 more for prog
ress than a thousand colleges" Because
the importation Of Chinese labor sought
by the brute might Of capital 10 abruptly
forcs down the wages Of American labor.
Mr.. rhillips denounced il a. policy thar
10 = true statesman was madness: - =
true philanthropjst cruelty ana madness.
too. He believed IN restricting the iIu~
portation 1T Chinese cheap labor for tAe
sake OF Kepuhlicaassm and civilization.
Cheap productions are sn unmjxed good,
hut chesp labor he declared an IN
mixed evil. Herein progress shows Itself
in = fail ef prices ana s. rise % vases.
In the DAYS OF William Penn. n the
reign ri Charles Il. il took IS7 asvs'
toll 20 bay ton of flour; IN l-9l bat -
DAYS; in l>S5 - days of Labor sufllced. ana
In 1870 - 81 - days vases pvobah!v
bought = ton Of aoar. This fall OF p-.ces
aud rise Of wages measures and exp.Ains.
said Mr.. Philhps, "the social. industrial
moral and political progress Of Penasvlvs-
MIA" Against the rishs % oar govern.
ment 10 check any forced ana unnatural
importation " labor ne advocate of 4 r-.,.
tective tariff can consistently open rs
mouth.