The record-union., 1896-02-05
PROTECTION OF LABOR.
Congressman JOhnsOn's immigration
Restriction Bill.
he Argues In Favor of It Before
the House Committee on
immigration.
he Argues Il

Representative Johnson appeared be-
fore the House Committee on Immigra-
ton in behalf of his bill providing for
the protection of American laborers
from unfair competition and for the
prevention of foreign-born laborers
coming to the United States. He said
the question of immigration was not
one affecting the immigrants alone, but
the United States. It was the same in
the case of the Monroe doctrine, which
we will enforce, not because of love of
the Central and South American repub-
lies, but to protect ourselves Mr.. john
son said that he represented not merely
himself but the people of the North
western immigration Convention, the
California Republican State Conven-
tion, the Pennsylvania Republican State
Convention and others. He said he did
not consider it a party or partisan ques-
tion, but a national principle. The
question as he viewed it was merely,
rs it necessary to restrict immigra-
tion?" and if left to him he would un-
hesitatingly answer, yes"
MIR. Johnson referred to the Mccall
illiteracy bill as good as far as it
goes" He looked upon the Stone con-
sular bill and the Corliss consular bill
in the same light. The trouble with
them, he said, was that they did not go
far enough. Mr.. Johnson told story
of a boy who ate green fruit. You
could not cure him by changing the
fruit" said Mr.. Johnson. 1.-THE only
remedy would be to have no more fruit
Our nation is full of unripe fruit. We
must change the diet. We must be alb
i 1,
scarcely needed statistics to show the
necessity of prompt and radical ac-
ton, for the reason that the facts were
well known to all members of the COM
mittee personally. He cited the fact
that most of the late strikes Of work.
men were caused by low wages. He
thought that the workmen were usually
right, but at the same time were gener-
ally unsuccessful The reason for this
state Of affairs, he said, was because
their places had been filled by foreign
ers.
The deterioration Of wages, he held,
was the direct result Of the competition
offoreign labor The workmen know it
and say it. In support of this state
ment Mr.. Johnson read from the report
OF the immigration Investigating Com
leaders all over the country. Mr.. john
son thought we had too many laborers-
that the supply was greater than the
demand, all of which was due to our
loose immigration laws. I'VE have
been boasting many years about Amer
lean Iaborers, American wages and
American homes, and we have de-
claimed so loudly about protecting
them, said he, that it has become
second nature to US and has blinded US
to the real facts"
The number of American laborers,
Mr.. Johnson insisted, was constantly
decreasing, while the number of for
eigners was increasing. In proof of
this statement Mr.. Johnson read a let
ter from Thomas J. Morgan. General
Secretary of the international Machin-
lists Union, in which Mr.. Morgan said,
in part: 1.-THE union of which I am
General Secretary is composed almost
wholly Of foreign-born machinists, my
self included. We found the way here
wide open, and have not the slightest
desire to close it in the least"
AS further proof of the statement Mr..
Johnson referred the members to the
signs along the streets of the working
districts of Baltimore, Pittsburg, Chi
cago, Cincinnati and San Francisco.
Nearly everyone of them, he said, bore
foreign names.
why not cast off the gangplank be-
tween the steamship and Castle Gar
den?" said Mr.. Johnson in closing.
Keep what we have and improve it.
We are under no obligations to for
eigners. They come here at their own
risk, and while they stay here they
must observe our rules. We should tell
them the truth, that there is no demand
for labor in the East, and that there is
no good vacant land for the poor. 1t is
our duty to legislate for America, its
industries, its laborers, and protect not
only the products of labor but labor
itself. Thus the foundation of our ma
ton can be made secure and its super
structure grand and powerful"