Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-11-09
GRAVE DECISIONS.
THE QUESTION OF CHEAP COO
LIE LABOR UPON US.

President Mckinley, rendered decis-
ion on the Goth of September, 1900,
establishing beyond shadow of doubt
the right of every resident OF the is
land possessions OF the United States
to go freely and unrestricted to any
part of the United States.
Under this ruling, the 100000 Chi
nese and 100000 Malays of the
Philippine islands will have, in the
event of annexation, all undeniablc,
inalienablc right to swarm here with
out limit, beyond the powor of Con-
gress or the President to stop them.
Closely following Judge Estee, the
Supreme Court OF Hawaii, composed
of United States Judges appointed by
President Mckinley, rendered decis-
ion, Oct. l., 1900, on substantially the
lines. The case involved in the de-
cision OF the Supreme Court was the
political rights of Geo. l.. Edwards. a
resident of Hilo, Hawaii.
The gist of the Decision is this:
"THE GOVERNMENT OF THE
UNITED STATES Is ONE OF DELE
GATED POWERS. THE AMERICAN
NATION OR, IN THE LANGUAGE OF
THE CONSTITUTION, 1.-THE PEG
PIE OF THE UNITED STATES,' Is
ABSOLUTELY SOVEREIGN. THIS
SOVEREIGN HAS PRESCRIBED
CERTAIN FUNDAMENTAL RULES,
CONTAINED IN THE CONSTITU.
TION OF THE UNITED STATES.
WHICH ITS SERVANTS, THE PRES
IDENT AND EACH MEMBER OF
CONGRESS, MUST TAKE A SOLEMN
OATH TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND
AS A CONDITION PRECEDENT TO
TAKING OFFICE. THESE SER
WANTS ARE NOWHERE AUTHOR.
IZED TO EXERCISE ABSOLUTE
SOVEREIGNTY, BUT THEIR
POWERS ARE LIMITED By THE
TERMS OF THE CONSTITUTION
UNDER WHICH THEY HOLI
THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICES
AND DISCHARGE THEIR OFF
CIAL DUTIES.
GIVE CANNOT ASSENT TO TIL
DOCTRINE THAT THE OPERATION
OF THE CONSTITUTION IN THE
TERRITORIES BELONGING TO THT
UNITED STATES DEPENDS UPON
THE WILL OR ACTION OF CON
GRESS EXTENDING 1T THERE.
CIT FOLLOWS THAT ALL THF
PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITU
TION IN RESPECT TO personal
AND POLITICAL RIGHTS BECOME
AT ONCE, WHEN THE SESSION
WAS COMPLETED, A PART OF TIL
SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND"
WHAT THE DECISION mems.
If the laboring people and the mer
chants of the Pacific Coast suffer ire
parable loss from the competition o
cheap japanese labor, under rigid ex
clusion acts, their suffering and los
would be increased ten thOusan,
times under the unrestricted compet
ton of these swarms Of Philippin
coolies.
No exclusion act nor any power G
Congress could come to the rescue.
Every large corporation on the Pa
cific Coast coast could bring ther
here by the tens of tnousands--fo
they are eager to come-and set ther
to work on railways, in shingle mill
in saw mills, in lumber camps, in til
fisheries and in coal mines.
A faint idea of the way white labo
and merchants depending upon til
trade OF white laborers would be drive
to bankruptcy and starvation may /
gathered from the recent substitu,io
OF thousands OF Japanese for whi'
laborers in every branch of industr
controlled by big corporations in th
State.
SAMPLES OF ASIATIC LABOR.
From the report made to the Sta
Labor Commissioner, the Great Nortl
ern Railway Company employed 1.Os
section men at 81, 1918 per day
the year 1897 a total year
payment of $40, ,12S l0-every doll
of which was spent in this countr.
and nearly all OF it in the commun
ties in which the men dwelt.
These men have all been replac'
by japanese laborers at $1.1O per da
: and there are now $500 Japanese
work on sections and the re.constru
ton of the Great Northern in Il
State OF Washington.
In 1897 the 0. r. & N. Co. employ
800 white men on sections at ST.
These have been replaced by Jap
nese and the number increased on q
, count of extra construction work.
In 1883 the S. & /. r. r. Co. eI
ployed 100 white men at $l.40 per da
They have been replaced by Japane
at $l.lO per day and the number
d creased on account of new work.
! Four years ago no Japanese we
/ employed at the Port Blakely mil
To-day more than two hundred JAY