St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-22

Senator Lodge on Monday, in speak
ing in favor of the bill now before the
United States senate, restricting immi-
grafton, said that under existing law
paupers, decrepit persons, convicts
and contract labOrerS We're debarred
admission to the United States, but the
new measure went further. and eXclud-
ed the totally ignorant the worst foe
American labor had to contend against.
IL we have any regard for the well
Iafe, the wages or the standard of life
OF American working men, said the
senator, I'VE should take Immediate
steps TO restrict foreign immigration.
There is no danger at present. at all
events, to our working men from the
the coming of skilled mechanics or of
trained and educated men with q set
tleo occupation or pursuit, for immi-
grants OF this class will never seek to
lower the American standard of life
ana wages. On the contrary, they de-
sire the same standard for themselves.
but there is an appalling danger to the
american wage Garner from the flood
OF low, unSkilled, ignorant foreign la
por Whlch has poured into the coun-
Try Tor some years past, and which not
only takes low wages, but accepts a
standard OF life and living so low that
Ire american working man cannot
compete With it. The injury of unre-
stricted immigration to American
wages and American standards of liy-
ing is sufficiently plain and Is had
enough, but the danger which this i'm
migration threatens to the quality of
our citizenship is far worse. More pre.
clous even than forms Of government
are mental and moral quality which
make what We call our race. While
these stand unimpaired. all is safe
w wren those decline, all is imperiled.
IEey are exposed to but a single dam
ger, and that is by changing the Quail
lty OF our race and our citizenship
through the wholesale infusion of races
whose traditions and inheritances
whose thoughts and whose beliefs are
wholly alien to ours and with whom
we have never assimilated or even heen
associated with in the past The dan
ger has begun. 1t is small as vet. COM
pafauYely speaking, but il is large
enough to warn us to act while there
is YET time, and while it can be done
easily and efficiently. There lies the
peru at the portals of our land; there
IS pressing In the tide of unrestricted
immigration. The time has certainIv
come, Ii not to stop, at least to check.
TO Sift and restrict immigrants
The house committee on labor last
Wednesday entered upon the consider
alton of the bill introduced by Repre-
sentative Erdman, of Pennsylvania, in
relation to arbitration between car
riers engaged I'm interstate Commerce
and their employees. The bill provides
that when controversies in regard TO la
Dor arise, threatening to interrupt bust
ness, the chairman OF the interstate
commerce commission and the commits
sioner Of labor, upon request, shall
seek 10 bring about an amicabie settle
nent- Ii this be unsuccessful. the
question may be submitted to a hoard
OF three persons elected by the car
rlers and employees, and their findings
Shaii be final upon both parties. Dur
lnS the tendency OF arbitration. the ex-
ASting status shall not be changed and
damages may be recovered IL it be
done The speakers favored the bill,
W1Sh unlmportant amendments.
What has become of the eight
hour agitation in ST. Paul? Outside of
one or two organizations, the subject
seems TO have lapsed into "innocuous
Gesuetude'
The municipal ownership Of electric
Hgnfs water, gas and other plants nee
eSsaFy to the successful running of a
city, Is being agitated as never before
In The principal business centers of the
cOuntry.<
The woman and chiId-labor evil is
a subject that might be probably dis
Crssed by local organizations Of work
fngmen- One has but to stand on any
OF the prominent corners between the
hours OF six and seven In the evening
to become convinced of the fact that,
unless radical measures are adopted to
prevent IL, the sterner sex will be doing
household work before the end of the
century.
The Commercial club has gone into
the label business, and has adopted