The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1902-08-29
CITY OFFICIAL PAPER
FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 1902.
WHAT LABOR GOT FROM CON
GRESS.

For years the American Federation
of Labor has volunteered suggestions
in government matters, and has
pleaded for and demanded laws cal
culated to benefit the workers, the
great majority of the people, says
the Cleveland Citizen.
But the Federation might as well
have petitioned the man in the moon
to send down a shower of milk and
honey, as to request congress and the
various state legislatures to grant
labor a few immaterial concessions.
For ten years Andrew Furuseth
has been stationed at Washington
to attempt to secure the enactment of
laws in the interest of labor. Here
is what he reports as the result
of the efforts of himself and
half a dozen others, to receive recog-
milton at the hands of the congress
men who have adjourned for the sum-
mer and are now busy fixing up their
fences for reelection:
The Chinese Exclusion Bill.-The
senate committee on immigration re-
ported an effective Chinese exclusion
bill; a combination between demos
Gratis and Pacific coast republicans,
assisted by a few more, compelled
the house to adopt what was substan-
TALLY the bill recommended by the
senate committee; the senate adopted
a substitute known as the Platt
amendment; this was finally adopted
by the house. This bill will admit
to United States territory anywhere
any Chinese who is a citizen or sub
ject of any other country than China.
1t will admit to United States main
land territory from the Philippines all
the subjects of the Emperor of China.
More than that. If China shall de-
nounce the existing treaty made in
1894, then after December Z, 1904
there will be neither treaty nor law
to prevent Cinnamon from coming to
this country from anywhere.
Eight Hour Bill.-The house passed
the bill and the senate is now occu-
plying itself going over the same
ground gone over for five years, hay
ing hearings on the bill. This is pre-
paratory to burying the measure.
Anti-Tnjunction BilI.-The bill to
abolish the injunction of labor disputes
passed the house; it was amended in
the senate committee so it was worse
than nothing.
Prison Labor.-The prison labor
bill, to prevent prison-made goods
from competition with the products
of free labor, passed the house dur
ing the life of the last congress, but
did not get a favorable report at the
hands of the present congress.
Government to Build Three Naval
Vessels.-The naval committee of the
house reported in favor of building
one war ship by the government naval
yards; the house amended the bill to
build three. The senate struck all
out, and none will be built in the
navy yards of this country.
Ship Subsidy.-An amendment was
introduced in the senate to the ship
subsidy bill which prohibited the
employment of Chinese on vessels re-
ceiving subsidy, Through the efforts
of certain senators the amendment
was defeated and the bill passed the
senate. Should It pass the house in
this shape these ships will continue
to employ the cheapest men to be OBJ
tainpd on tho DrCpoCitiOp tbot +bo,r
are paying the highest wages in the
world.
And this array of facts leads the
Citizen to observe:
eve have long opposed the policy
of lobbying for labor laws, or asking
for favors from the old-party poll
ticians, or volunteering information
to those who deliberately snub the
working people. Such a policy never
seemed very dignifed, or calculated
to increase on's self-respect.
1T has been our opinion that where
the working people desire conces-
sions they have the power to secure
them without begging. They have
the ballot in their hands, and, being
the vast majority, they can turn
down the Hannas and Johnsons and
place their class in power and con-
duct the affairs of government in the
interest of that class.
but after mature reflection we
have come to the conclusion that the
policy of petitioning for concessions
from the enemy disgusting as it may
seem, is quite necessary. It is appar-
ent that the working class requires
continuous object lessons-every day,
every hour-to make it understand
that it has nothing to expect but
scorn and contempt from the capt.
talist class, the child of its own rela-
ton.