Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-10-26
Americans, Attention !!

1Hc uucStlOu vi I'LL vucstiOus tIdI
promises to become the real burning
issue upon this coast is the threatened
pig-tail wage. For more than eigh-
teen months the railroads of this State
have been displaoing white men with
Japs. During the last twelve months
more than fifty thousand Japs have
been brought into this State for rail-
road work. They are brought here by
contractors who control them so long
As they shall remain in the State.
One man, for instance, has a contract
Tor so many steel-gang men, and so
many section men, for a given rail-
road. The contractor picks up the
Japs in this State, if he can get them,
and otherwise in British Columbia and
even in Japan. The railroad company
pays the contractor every month the
wages of these cheap men in lump.
The ruling wage at this time is $1.35
a day for steel-gang men and $l.15 for
section men. The contractor holds
out 2Oc day for himself and the men
get $1.O5 and Csc day. The railroad
company provides car cabins which
can be showed off flat car to the
bank at the side of the track. In on
OF these car cabins from thirty-five to
forty-five Japs sleep. They do their
own cooking out doors, and live on
what no white man would eat. Not
long ago several head of cattle were
killed by a locomotive. The company
buried the animate, but the Japs dug
them up and stripped the bones of
their flesh. In the huge community
pot the meat was boiled, with such
other things as were at hand. On this
compost the gang lived for a whole
week. The little human bugs are
quick to learn. Already they are dis.
placing white men as wipers and
coach cleaners. A few are even firing
locomotives. The movement is grow
ing rapidly. Before we were scarcely
aware Of it, the system had fastened
itself upon the labor situation in this
State. These men have no families
they build no homes. What is to be.
come of the men who have families
and homes whom they are crowding
to one side 4? How is the movement
likely to affect mechanics whose BUSH
ness it 10 to build homes, and mer-
chants who furnish the families OF
white men with food and clothing and
other home requirements? These
people press upon us by the millions
they are eager to work and quick to
learn. How long will we be able to
keep them within the lines of railroad
work 7 The Chinese treaty will ex.
pire in February, 1902. When that
time comes we will be face to face with
monstrous danger. The Republican
party can be counted on to serve we'll
the interests OF the great corporations.
They have always done so, and since
1896, when the corporations and
trusts put up the money to elect
Mckinley, there is all the more reason
for their doing 20. 1t would be real
menace to this country and especially
to these Coast States, if the Republic
can party should be returned to power
this fall, and 90 be in position to
control the American end of the ne
gotiation Of the new Chinese treaty.
Let every American who realizes the
danger to the homes and opportunities
of American laborers, vote against the
party that tolerates and desires the
incoming of cheap labor from the
Orient; the party that favors a policy
in the Philippines that opens all our
doors to the Cinnamon in those
Islands.