Sunday Washington globe., 1902-05-04
Cincinnati Congressman Who
Is Chairman of immigration
SOUNDS THE WARNING NOTE.
American TOilers in as Great a Danger
From Southern Europe as From the
Chinese-The Present Rate of Immi-
grafton VIII Swamp the American
Labor Market 49, Prompt Measures
Necessary.

The Chinese are barred out and American
labor is saved from competition with the
celestials thus the great Republican party
again saves the American toiler aud his full
dinner pail The Chairman of the Commit
tee on immigration, however, the past
week, who is a Republican dyed In the
wool, and no less a parsonage than General
William B. Shattuc, Representative from
the leading Ohio District Cincinnati, threw
a hand grenade on the floor Of Congress
which exploded the fiction of the security
of the American toiler from imported COM
petition.
Here is a significant paragraph from the
speech of the general, as the chairman Of
this committee
Another serious factor in the problem is
immigration The addition of 5000 900 i'm
migrants to the labor supply of our country
since 1900 and a current increase of 6oO, 600
yearly form a menace to the labor of our
land, entitled to serious consideration. 1t
may not be so perceptible now, but should
a period of depression again visit our in
dustries the oversupply cannot fail to add
to the disastrous effect upon American
labor. The result will be positive reduc-
ton in the standard of wages, the standard
of living, and the standard of civilization.
These immigrants have mostly settled in the
manufacturing states, and the cities thereof,
thus intensifyiug the perplexities of the
situation should depression come"
Some time ago in commenting on COM
munication from Gen. o. o. Howard to this
paper, we pointed out that the Chinese was
not the only race menacing the American
labor market and that limitation to the
immigration, from Southern Europe espe-
cially, should be enacted or provided for
Figures do not lie when presented by an
honest man and the figures furnished by
General Shattuc are official aud beyond
dispute
Is Congress or the c. o. P prepared to
accept the logical deduction of these figures
and enact legislation to save the American
toiler from the Hun the Ladrone, the Boor
(not Boer). and the other organ grinding
fruit peddling and degraded peasants and
semi.serfs of continental Europe.
Capital regards this immigration with a
friendly eye, as il means cheaper labor and
greater competition in the labor market
but capital in this respect or instance, as in
other epochs in the worlds history, may
overdo the business and kill the goose that
lays $50 uncomplainingly) the golden eggs
In other words the hordes pouring into
the United States may starve the American
toiler until he, too, looks with friendly
eye on - revolutiOnl
The limit Of endurance is being eagerly
sought by trusts, monopolies aud organized
capitalistic combinations until the disin-
terested locker on is reminded of that old
and trite saying Whom the gods destroy,
they 6rst make mad"
It is to the Chairman of the immigration
Committees credit that he is of the number
although passing wealthy - who no
tices the rapidly growing evil and the in
cidental danger of giving the American
toiler his choice between revolution
or social conditions based on the plane
and environments of the European toiler.
General Shuttuc's speech and statistics
on this subject arouses serious thought, and
the gravity OF the problem of unrestricted
immigration calls for a solution at the
hands Of Congress which will insure us
against as equally great an evil as a
Chinese coolie invasion in the hordes Of
undersized, hereditary semi-serfs from
Southern Europe who have been, are now,
and will continue, in greater numbers to
swarm to our shores from the ships of
Pierpout Morgan.