Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1902-04-24

THE AMERICAN LABoRER.

In closing his speech in favor Of
Chinese exclusion the other day, Champ
Clark paid the following tribute to
to the American laborer:
The policy Of Chinese exclusion is
bottomed on the instict Of self-preser-
vation-the supreme law of nature. 1t
is not mere demagogieal scheme TO
win votes for any party or for any man.
1t is philosophical and patriotic
movement, growing outof facts that
can be neither denied blinked, Oh
scured, or shunted out of the way. 1t
not only goes to the root OF our insti-
tutions, but IL lays hold Of the foun-
dation Of Caucasian civilization on this
continent.
1t is largely racleal question, and
1t raises the paramount issue, "Shall
the white man continue TO dominate
the western hemisphere, or shall he be
placed in the process OF ultimate ex-
tinction and be supplanted by the yell
low man?n IL is utterly futile to
vaunt our superiority and vainglorious-
ly assert that in free competition with
the Chinese in any field OF physical
endeavor we shall triumph, for 1t is
not true. Governor Taft, our great
pro-consul In the Philippines, testified
that a Chinese can live on cents a
day-not only live, but flourish like a
tree planted by the rivers Of water A
cloud OF witnesses support the COVER
nor-general in that mystifying state
ment-so mystlfying and so variant
from our experience In living that |
endeavored to ascertain how that SEEM
ing miracle can be wrought. The
only answer l elected was that Chi
nese can live on two cents per diem
because Of centuries Of enforced prac-
tice In the difficult art of curtailing
bis diet to the minimum.
BY reason of both constitutional
characteristics and Of ancient habit an
American can not compete with a
Chinese in cheapness of living If he so
desired; and in the fierce fight in the
arena Of labor, constantly growing
fiercer as our population multiplles,
for the right to live, the infnitesimal
cost at which a Chinese can exist will
inevitably give him the victory over
the white man. The starvation test
would end in a survival Of the unit
test. 1t Is written: "The laborer is
worthy OF his hire" The American
laborer is the foundation Of the Re-
public and Of our civilization = the
highest civilization the world has
known since the primal curse was
placed upon man; "In the sweat OF
thy face shalt thou eat bread"
The American laborer produces the
wealth of this country, wealth that
is too vast TO be comprehended by
the mathematical powers Of the hui
man mlnd,a wealth SO stupendous that
it eclipses the wondrous tale OF Alroy
or any story out of the ArabianNights.
We all take pride in the fact that
American laborers are the most in
telligent, the most skillful, the best
clothed, the best fed, the best housed
the most public-spirited, and the most
, ambitious laborers on the whole face
: of the earth. For one l am unalter
ably opposed to anything that de
prives them Of a single comfort ol
that will in any manner reduce theiI
standard Of living or that will lower
him In the scale Of civilization even In
the estimation Of hair. So far as ID
us lies, 1t is our duty to prevent Chi
nese competition with American la
, borers either on land or sea.