The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-04-06

New York, April Samuel GOmpers,
president Of the American Federation
'of Labor, has addressed a letter to
Vice-President Stevenson, protesting
against the ratification by the Senate
.Of the proposed Chinese treaty.
After reciting the fact of the publi-
cation of what purports to be the
treaty, the authenticity of which has
been denied, he says:
ITO say we are surprised and dis
tressed that the administration of our
country should negotiate a treaty of
the character named-practically sur
rendering to the government of China
rights which have been struggled Cor
and achieved, is, to say the least, put
ting it mildly.
The Scott exclusion act and the
Geary law were not passed in response
to maudlin sentiment nor a national
antipathy. They were not passed as
an experiment, but as the result OF
sore trials and the absolute necessities
of our people. This became law at the
earnest demand of the toiling masses
,of our country 1t is needless here to
discuss the imposSibility of the amalga-
nation or assimilation of the Chinese
in America with our people. That has
been so clearly demonstrated as to neeG
no elucidation at my hands. l am sure
no senator's will need to be convinced
that if the plans of the Scott and
Geary laws have in a measure been
successfully eVaded and violated by
the Chinese in consequence of the elias
ITCHY of their consciences and their
disregard for any oath or affirmation,
they will have no difficulty to prove
they have lawful wives. children or
parents in the United States, or prop
4
debts of like amount. In fact, the
safeguards of the present law by which
the American people can be protected
against the wholesale invasion of Chi
nese laborers are swept aside by this
proposed treaty.
AT present an awful problem con-
fronts US. The appalling sight is wit
messed of millions of our fellow men
and women actually idle and literally
without the means of sustaining life.
If at any time the foOdgates of immi-
grafton should be opened, certainly in
| the presence. of such a crisis. wisdom,
patriotism, craftsmanship and human
| ity forbid the step.
THE laws now upon our statute
books in reference to Chinese imr1i-
grafton have been the result Of due
| deliberatiOn and they meet the wants
| of our people. The proposed treaty has
| been negotiated in darkness and Sc
! crecy. The people are not aware their
rights are about to be invaded and
their interests destroyed, or we would
witness such an expression of deter
mination on their part that would
cause the Senate to pause before this
new blight is placed upon them.
eff you doubt the intensity of feeling
upon this subject, give official sane
ton to the publicity of this treaty and
| time for the people to demonstrate
their position upon it, You will then
be convinced that, apart from a few
sentimentalists, the American people
are practically unit against it's rad-
| fcatiOn.
I'm the name of more than half a
million organized workmen and women
of America, [ enter my most solemn
protest against the ratification of the
| treaty by your honorable body and
earnestly hope it will be rejected"
Mr. Gompers asks that the vice
president submit this protest to the
Senate.