Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-11-02
The Cheap Leaven at Work.
The Coolies are Coming with Hurrah. ca
Labor Witness Their Advent Unmoyed

Labor Witness Their Advent Unmoved?
In the labor market, as in every
other market, the law OF supply and
demand holds good. A man may be
in full sympathy with the American
workingman, but if there is O supply
of coolie labor in the market, he will
soon find that he must employ it or
90 out of business. So long as coolie
labor can be had for ST day or less,
he can not employ American work
men at decent wage and expect to
compete with other men in the same
line OF business. An instance of this
kind occurred in Tacoma last week.
One of the largest wood contractors in
that city lost three large wood con-
tracts to a company employing coolie
labor. He has heretofore always EN-.
ployed white men, but in conversa.
tion, just after hearing Of the loss of
thO sutiu COutIdCt, uc bdIu
81 don't like to do it but it is either
that or quit the business. have been
paying white men 81 per cord for cutting
wood and everybody knows that that is
little enough. These other people are
getting the work done for IS cents by
Japs and / must do the same thing or
quit the business"
Last week Buckley farmer hired
fifteen Japs at 81 day to dig his po-
tatoes. He said that every thing he
had TO buy was costing him from 25 to
5O percent. more than formerly and
that, ii he was TO make ends meet, he
would have to employ the cheapest
labor to be had. The presence OF a
comparatively small number of coolies
is sure to force the wage of the whole
labor community down to their level.
If the number OF coolie:. laborers in
the State at the present time can
work these results, what will be the
effect OF the Wholesale importation OF
cheap labor sure to follow the ratifica-
ton OF McKinley's Philippine policy
at the polls next month?
For man who is cracked up to be as
popular as Colonel Roosevelt, his prog
ress is attended by an extraordinary
number of mobs. According to his own
showing, the worst hated man in the
country could not have had worse
time OF it. But perhaps Teddy is only
trying to mob his way into Office
Auntie.
Oh, no. little "Auntie," Governor
Roosevelt was never cracked up" TO be
popular among the Bryanites, thugs and
other law-breakers. His popularity is
among the law-abiding and real Ameri-
cans with red blood in their veins in
stead Of red flags in their hands.-Oly.
Bryanites, thugs and other law
breakers! Does our little neighbor
realize the meaning OF the words he
uses? If so, is there the slightest
scintilla Of truth in that assertion
which does not apply with much
greater force to the party which is
now waging war of subjugation
against our late allies in wrestling the
Philippines from Spanish rule? Can
there be greater law.breskers than
those who admittedly violate the
Constitution and justify it by the dec
laration that it has outlived its days
of usefulness? Can there be more
reprehensible thugs than those who
terrorize at the polls and make a
mockery of the ballot.box? Can q
party that is so easily switched from
silver to gold, from a war that was be.
gun to free the Cubans from oppres.
sion to a contest for empire, claim to
have the honest red blood of the yeo.
man flowing in their veins, while their
heart-beats throb under the stimulus
of love for gold-yellow gold? From
any such supposition, good Lord de-