Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-01-14

are brought into the country, labor ought
also to be protected There is also a feel
ing existing among workingmen generally
that there ought to be some kind of a
tariff or protection un the importation Of
labor The manufacturer has goods to sell,
and a tariff is imposed for the purpose of
enabling him to get higher price for his
goods than he otherwise would receive.
The workingman has labor to sell, and in
order to place him on anything like equal
terms with the manufacturer in this mat
ter of tariff legislation, tax on imported
labor equally as high as that on imported
goods ought to be levied.
LAS it is now, there is high protec ton
for the manufacturers benefit and apso-
lutte free trade in the one thing that labor
has to sell. In reference. to the bill intro
duced into Congress by Representative
johnson, for the absolute prohibition of
any foreign-born laborers from coming
into the United States, / think it would be
better for Congress to enact legislation that
will open up the natural resources of the
country to the free access and use OF all
the laboring men-those who are here, as
we'll as those who want to come.
There is no question but that II the la
boring men of this country today had free
access to the unused lands, forests, mines
and water powers Of the United States.
there would be absolutely no idle men look
ing for employment and the working man
would not be worried for fear of foreign
labcrerS coming here to crowd the working
man out of his position. If every foreign
coming to this country for the next twenty
years, and our railroad manipulators, land
tarons, coal baronS, trusts and national
bankers were still allowed, as they now
are, to monopolize the lands and other pro-
ducers of industry and to manage the
monetary system of the country. American
laboring men would, at the end of that
time still be fighting each other for en-
ployment, the same they are today, so
that the mere prohibition of the coming to
this country Of foreign-born laborers will
not of itself be Of any permanent benefit to
working men,"
Does Not Approve 1t.
Ex-President John NJ. Berger of Local
Union, No. 26, Electrical Workers, said:
1.-THE passage of Mr.. Johnson's bill would
be in direct conflict with the Constitution
as framed by orr forefathers, and further
more, would be the cause of making num-
bers of skilled laborers who are anxious TO
get away from the rule of emperors, kings
and queens swear to a lie. And this would
then compel the captain Of the vessel bring
ing them here to do the same. L do not
think that this bill will be of any benefit TO
the workingmen of this country. From the
tone of the bill, there is too much of that
A. P. A. feeling in 1t to mean anything for
the working people of America. When this
country tries to stop immigration under the
disguise Of protection to the working
people, 1t is time that the old book Of Lat
be discarded and the history of our fight
for independence be cast aside forever. We
want no bill Of this kind. What the work
lngmen of this country want is justice al
| the hands Of the men who employ them
and there is work enough for all in this
land of the free"