The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-27
No Danger to Labor.

No Danger to Labor.
The desperate straits to which the
Democratic speakers In this state are
put for an argument is seen in the fact
that by apparently preconcerted move
ment all Of the men now on the stump
for that party are drawing lurid pic
lures OF threatened influx of Chinese
and Filipino laborers into this country,
as a result Of the annexation Of the
Philippine islands; and with this cheap
demagogy are trying to create scare
among the workingmen Of the state.
which will induce them to vote against
a retention Of new territory.
This Is a cheap and clumsy artifice,
which marks the poverty of argument
against the expansion policy. Whether
the Philippines are retained or whether
they are turned loose. this country. I'M
der existing laws. 10 now and always
has been open to the entry Of Filipinos,
whenever they choose to come to II.
Yet no one has ever heard Of Filipino
leaving his native land. save as a fur
gitive from the law. They have one
Of the most fertile countries in the
world, where life Is infinitely easier
for them than 1t would be elsewhere.
Only limited portion OF the land Is
under cultivation, and yet they pro-
duce SUFFICIENT for their own necessi-
ties They are indolent. and under no
compulsion will they engage In any
more labor than is necessary to supply
their wants. Those wants will increase
as civilization advances. but their own
home offers them far more than they
could obtain elsewhere. and rather in
vites further immigration from abroad.
that its resources may be fully devel-
oped.
The Fflipinos are Of the same racial
stock as the Hawaiians. Has this coun-
try been flooded by Hawaiians seeking
employment since the latter islands
were annexed? How many natives of
Samoa have jumped into the labor mar
kets OF the Pacific coast since Samoa
came under the American flag? The
idea that the Fiiipinos will become a
menace to the labor marke, is made OF
the same stun as the kindred dream
that one soldier can effectively coerce
some 1900 of his fellow citizens, and
thus seat an emperor on the throne.
AS far as the Chinese are concerned.
they can no more enter this country
by the way Of the Philippines than by
the way OF Canada; In fact. not one
tenth SO easily. The Chinese exclusion
laws are not repealed or suspended by
the operation of the treaty with Spain.
and there Ia no prospect Of their being
repealed by congress. A chinaman born
In the Philippines. or In Hongkong. or
In the Straits Settlements Is no more
entitled 10 enter this country than 4,
he was born in Canton. Whether the
native-born Chinese shall he permitted
10 nave u NN8NN "a hhN A1~aA AbRtAhfiAent
Of the Philippines is matter 20 be
settled by the legislation OF those Is
lands. but their status there win have
nothing to DO with their status In this
country.
The whole Democratic argument as
to the status Of the Fillpinos ana Chit
nese In Manila is based on the Demo-
cratic proposition that those Islands
are at this time under the constitution
Of the United states: proposition fun
aamentally incorrect. which has
been exploded by the supreme court Of
the United States IN = dozen decisions
In the language Of the supreme court.
used in reference 20 territories gener-
ally, thu Philippines are but political
divisions Of the outlying aoninions 81
the United states" As the same court
has said In another case; They f,he
territories) are not organized under the
constitution. nor subject TO its com
pick distribution az the powers OF gov
eminent, as the organic law; but are
the creations exclusively Of tbs isgis-