The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-14
IMPERIALISM AND LABOR.

w llllaIn lIl1SInaUn DducCo III liz
mand for Philippine retention long
enough to explain that while we want
to annex 100O0OO0 Asiatics to include
them in our government and to count
them in the population over which
1.-THE flag Of the free" shall henceforth
wave. we must enact more stringent
exclusion laws against Japanese and
Chinese CHEAP labor.
Congressman Grosvenor is quoted by
the Standard as saying that behind
the opposition to the Porto Rican bill
is "a Democratic purpose to drive the
Republicans of this country into po-
sition where they could destroy them
at the polls"
This is explained by the following
"briatling points from Mr.. Grosve-
nOr's speech:
The question is whether the constitu-
ton followed the flag into Porto Rico, and
If into Porto Rico then of necessity into
the Philippines. for you cannot separate
the two propositions. II the af1lrmalVe
of these propositions be true, the cheap.
degraded labor Of the Sulus, the Tasdis,
the Filipinos and the horde Of Asiatics
which we took unto ourselves when we
took the Philippine islands will come into
competition Win the American ldDOT III
our mines and mills. for you cannot legal
" prevent a fyil-fiedged American citizen
from offering his labor where he will and
at what price he Will.
And yet Mr.. Grosvenor. as admin
istration leader in the house. and Sen
ator Lodge. as administration leader
IN the senate. assured their colleagues
and the country that the provisions of
their Porto Rican protection would
become imperative before the exrira-
ton Of two years. If the constitution
extends to Porto Rico in two years, if
the barrier is torn down in two years
IN the West Indies. to use the logic Of
the distinguished partisan from Ohio,
then of necessity IT is so in the Phil
ippines. for you cannot separate the
two propositions"
If this be true. then "the cheap, de-
graded labor of the Sulus, the Tagals,
the Filipinos and the horde of Asiatics
which we took unto ourselves when
we took the Philippine islands. will
come into competition with the Amer
lean labor in our mines and our mills"
for you cannot legally prevent any
citizen or "cOlonist." If you please,
from going from one part of the "em-
pire to another. or from offering his
services where he will and at what
price he will 50 long as the American
flag waves over him and he recog-
nizes the sovereignty of the American
government. These islanders were sub
jects Of Spain. They came and went
rs 1t pleased them Our imperialists
viii not be more exacting and set up a
passport system between different sec
tions of this great government. We
are not ready to out-czar the car him
self
But what does this Philippine annex
alton and retention mean for the west,
ever if perfected on the Porto Rican
two years plan? Let our Republican
contemporary. the Standard, explain:
The leading members of the labor
unions OF the Pacific coast, with the his
tory Of TIE struggle against the Chinese
labOrers IN the past still fresh in their
memory, are demanding the re-enactment
of the Chinese exclusion act when il ex-
pires I'm May, 1902, and they ask that the
new law provide "for the total and per-
manent exclusion from the United States
tied to their government on its diplomatic
staff" The great influx of Japanese is
causing alarm in labor circles, especially
since the large railroad combinations
have been encouraging the importation
of the subjects OF the mikado, and have
been supplanting white labor with them,
as was the case on the Union Pacific be-
tween Ogden and Rawlins, few days
ago
Philippine retention means that this
condition cannot be prevented even
though Mr.. Grosvenors plan to delay
It two years may be allowed to stand
It means that everv man, every poll
tician who advocates the taking Of
these Asiatic laboeers under our flag
favors bringing them to our shores.
Even If we govern them without their
consent and tax them without repre-
sentation, we cannot very well deny
them the inalienable rights OF life. lib
erty and the pursuit of happiness,
which all men possess; we cannot de-
prive any person subject to the juris-
diction OF this government OF the right
TO acquire or to hold property, to go
from one state to another or TO exer-
else the fullest liberty OF locomotion,
provided he has not been convicted OF
crime or held for judicial action. In
other words, we cannot violate every
portion of the constitution and every
principle Of republican government
The retention Of the Philippines
means the opening Of cur doors to
cheap cOolie labor Of the Orient. Our
"colonists" there can no more be kept
out Of this country than the Austral-
ian colonists Of Great Britain are him
dered from going to London to get
work. Grosvenor knows this. 1t is
time the laboring man began 10 study
the real meaning o. Oriental expan-
lion and its relation to his affairs,