Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1902-05-01

The failure OF the Chinese Exclusion
law in the senate. and the enactment OF
the Plat amendment, which is generally
regarded as inefficient, is considered by
all as being great blow to organized
labor in the United States, since organi-
zed labor from the Atlantic to the Pacific
urged the adoption of the bill as it came
from the committee and the only opposi-
ton to it was what is regarded as the
"money influence" The debate, which
lasted a number Of days, brought out the
fact most prominently, that the party in
the senate which stands for organized
labor, which is the party Of the people
as againsts the corporations and trusts,
is the democratic party, for it made a
most determined fight for this bill, and
especially that section known as the
''seamens clause" which aimed to pro-
tect the American seamen OH the Pacific
against the cheap Chinese labor on YES
sells touching at American ports and sail, :
ing under the American flag.
This section was approved by every
Seamans Union on the coast as we'll as by
all other labor organizations, and repre-
sentatives If the seamen of the coast
came to Washington to urge it's adoption.
When the bill fist came up for discus
sion in the senate little attention was
paid to this section. All seen. ed to favor
it. The republican members appeared
to find no fault with it since ii was in line
with protection of American labor. Sud-
denly however came representatives OF the
big steamships companies Of the Paci-
fic Coast saying that if they were not per-
mitted 10 employ Chinese sailorsit would
cost them a great deal more each year to
run their business-plainly remarking,
as did several republican senators on the
floor Of the chamber, that they now en-
ploy chinese at wages fully so per cent
less than they would have to pay white
men, and they wanted to continue to do
the same as they have been doing. Then
the commercial interest" got in it's
work. A food of kilograms came from
the Pacific coast "business houses" urg-
ing the rejection OF this clause all saying
it would force every vessel on the coast
to sail under foreign flag. 1t would
seem that all Of these kilograms came.
or eminated at least-from one fountain
head, for they were all worded exactly
alike. A little investigation showed that
the big steamship companies had called
upon certain business houses to sign such
kilograms, and business houses fearing
the steamship companies might in some
way damage their business, complied.
Senator Turner. of this state, brought out
very fully and convincingly what lay
behind the demand for the repeal Of this
section-the steamship companies alone
which wanted to hire cheap and coward
ly Chinese sailors in preference to reliable
white men.
This disposition on the part of the re-
publicans OF the senate to object to the
protection of American seamen, came as a
most remarkable and surprising position,
in view Of the facts that but few weeks
before these same men, with tears in
their eyes, figurately speaking, were ask
ing for big subsidy from this govern.
ment that they might protect the Ameri-
can seamen that Americans might be
employed on the vessels OF the Pacific
ocean and receive living wages, that the
standard Of white seamen might be rails
ed, and then as further, and what they
held as most convincing reason why
the subsidy bill should pass, argued that
with all American vessels manned with
American seamen, We would have an ex-
perinced and competant naval reserve to
draw from in case Of war. These argu-
ments seemed to convince the republican
members Of the senate and the ship subsi-
dy bill passed that body, and now on the
very heels of this come these same men
and object to the "seamens clause" in
the Exclusion act, and deliberately cut it
out, thus giving the men who will parti.
cipate in the big subsidy steal, permits
sion to employ Chinese seamen at Chinese
wages. to be paid out of money denoted
by the American government. If there
ever has been any thing inconsistent in
the action of the senate, all other acts
pale into insignificance when compared
with this.
Organized labor the land over is con-
graduating Senator Turner of Washing
ton on his magnificent stand taken in it's
behalf. Senator Turner's position and
standing in the senate is such that when.
ever he speaks he is listened with mark
ed attention, and what he says always has