Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1902-01-23
Will PROTECT LABOR
Senator Penrose Meeting the Great
Question of Chinese Exclusion.

Senator Penrose Meeting the Great
Question of Chinese Exclusion.
OPPOSITION NOW DEVELOPING
Business interests Trading With China
Have Taken Hand In the Fight,
But the Republican Party Will Not
ignor the Workingmen.
Especial Correspondence.)
Harrisburg, Jan. 21.-The insincer-
ity of the average reformer has
again been demonstrated in the pres
ent silence which has been observed
among the insurgent newspapers over
the question of the exclusion of the
Chinese laborers.
The Pennsylvania insurgents have
finally discovered that United States
Senator Boies Penrose, by reason of
his position as chairman of the COM
mittee on immigration OF the senate,
will WELD great influence in shaping
the legislation in congress on this sub
ject. In an effort to cater to the labor
vote some Of the insurgent news
papers made great ado over this is
sue some weeks ago in seeking to
lead the movement for the re-enact-
ment of the Chinese exclusion law.
But things are different now. The
editors of these papers have learned
that Senator Penrose is the real leader
in this agitation and that upon his
shoulders will largely rest the respon-
sibility of meeting the organized op-
position of large capital interests for
liberal legislation affecting the Chi
nese.
AN IMPORTANT PROBLEM.
Senator Penrose has arranged to
give a hearing this week to represen-
tatives of both the advocates and the
opponents of the proposed legislation
to bar Chinese cheap labor from this
country. 1t has developed that many
business interests fear that If the
action of congress shall be too radi-
cal on this subject trade with China
will be seriously affected, and it may
lead to retaliatory measures on the
part Of the Chinese government.
New England interests, including
| the Great Boston and Maine railroad,
| representatives of the Canadian Pa
cific railroad, in which large amount
of capital from the United States is
| invested, the Chamber of Commerce
of New York, fearful of curtailment
of the importing and export trade
| with China, and the Cotton Planters
Association of the south, who ship
millions of dollars worth of cotton
and cotton goods to China, are among
others who have requested an oppor-
| tunity to be heard before Senator
Penrose's committee.
On the other hand, Senator Penrose
has extended a cordial invitation to
all labor organizations throughout
| the country to have representatives
| at the hearings or to communicate
with him direct by mail. that he may
submit to his colleagues in the SEN
ate, in a practical way, the views of
American mechanics and laboring men
on this great question.
In conversation on this issue few
days ago. Senator Penrose among
other things said: 81 was not until
recently aware Of the many ramifica-
| tions of this question of the exclusion
| of the Chinese laborers. | have re-
| ceived many communications from
business men, manufacturers, import
| ers and exporters and others on this
| subject, which go to show how keen
| ly some of our commercial and manu-
| featuring interests are considering
| this matter. From the outset of this
| agitation | have made it point to
| keep in touch with representative
workingmen, among them officers of
| various trade unions and other organi-
| cations, and l have gathered vast
| fund of valuable information which
will be available in framing the bill
which will ultimately come from our
committee.
| PENNSYLVANIA INTERESTS.
| "Throughout our own state of Penn
sylvania the workingmen are fully
alive to the situation, and I have had
hundreds Of letters from almost every
section Of the commonwealth insisting
that there shall be no departure from
the policy of exclusion Of the Chinese
laborers.
1.-THE men engaged in the vast an
thracite and bituminous coal fields of
Pennsylvania, our great coke indus
tries, the lumber interests and the i'm
mense iron and steel plants and the
other manufacturing establishments of
the Keystone state, including many
thousands of workingmen, are all
deeply concerned in this subject.
Personally. my aim from the out
set shall be to protect American labor
from all encroachment of undesirable
foreign labor. which at low wages
would come in competition with the
men who have served to make this