The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-06-12
THE WATSON BILL
Gompers Says Legislation Favored
BY Indiana Republican Congress.
men Should Be Enacted.
WORKINGMAN NEEDS PROTECTION

Cheap Labor of Southern Europe
and Asia-RepuhIican Leadership
Alive 70 the Welfare of the Wage
Garner
The Republican members of the In
diana delegation in congress have been
conspicuously active during the pres
ent session in behalf of legislation ad-
vantageously affecting the interests of
the American wage-earner The
strongest speech delivered in the SEN
ate in favor of the most stringent leg
islation against Chinese immigration
was that of Senator Fairbanks. In the
house Representative Cromer spoke
forcibly in behalf OF the most restric-
tive law proposed against 1.-The yellow
peril" In the house Representative
Watson has been actively advocating
a bill similar in some respects to that
introduced by Senator Fairbanks two
or three years ago, providing against
the admission of illiterate immigrants
to the ports of the United States.
President Gompers' Statement.
In support of this bill Representative
Watson introduced the other day let
ter from President Gompers of the
American Federation of Labor, which
clearly sets forth the reasons why leg
islation of this character should be
had. Mr.. Compers says:
Il have observed with much pleasure
your activity in the cause of the regu-
lation of immigration, and in particu-
lar your introduction of bill provid-
ing that no adult immigrant shall be
admitted to our country till he has
acquired the first rudiments of educa-
ton. 1t is for this reason that now
address you with regard to pending
and prospective legislation.
THE organized workers of the coun-
try feel that the existing immigration
laws, while not without their value,
are of trifling effect compared with the
needs and the just demands of Ameri-
can labor
'The elaborate bill reported to the
house by the committee on immigra-
ton is for the most part 81. lie codi-
fication of the existing laws. md mod
ifies them only in some few details.
I believe that the changes proposed
are for the most part desirable. They
oro b0uovor ooyoportiraIx- rp;yoport
ant. If it is worth while to take up
the question of immigration at all, it
is worth while to introduce a genuine
and effective regulation.
Prosperity Endangered.
THE strength of this country is in
the intelligence and prosperity of our
working people. But both the intelli-
gence and the prosperity of our work
ing people are endangered by the pres
ent immigration. Cheap labor, ignor-
ant labor, takes our jobs and cuts our
wages. The fttest survive; that is,
those that fit the conditions best. But
it is the economically weak, not the
economically strong, that fit the condi-
tons of the labor market. They fit
best because they can be got to work
cheapest Women and children drive
out men, unless law or labor organiza-
ton stops it. In just the same way
the Chinaman and others drive out
the American, the German, the Irish
man.
1.-The tariff keeps out cheap foreign
goods. 1t is employers, not working
men, that have goods to sell. Work
ingmen sell labor and cheap labor is
not kept out by the tariff. The pro-
lection that would directly help the
workers is protection against the
cheap labor itself.
Educational Test Favored.
1.-THE Nashville convention of the
American Federation of Labor, by
vote of 1858 to 1852, pronounced in ia
vor of an educational test for immi-
grants. Such a measure would check
immigration in moderate degree,
and those who would be kept out by
it are those whose competition in the
labor market is most injurious to
American workers. No other measure
which would have any important eff
feet Of this kind is seriously proposed.
The need Of regulation may be less
sharply felt at the present time, when
there are less men out Of work than
there were a few years ago. But the
food of cheap labor is increasing, and
its effect at the slightest stagnation
in industry or In any crisis will be
fearful to the American workmen.
"a fall in wages or a relative fall of
wages makes the workers unable to
buy as large q share as before OF the
goods they produce. This hastens the
time when overproduction or under
consumption will show itself. That
means hard times; and when hard
times come the mass of immigrants
that prosperity attracted will be here
to increase the burden of unemploy.
ment.
"For these reasons the American
Federation of Labor believes that the
present opportunity ought not to be
allowed to pass without the adoption
of an effective measure fer the pro-
lection Of American labor.
'T earnestly hope that you will be
able to procure the embodiment of an
illiteracy test for immigrants in the
bill Oh. r. 12199) which the house
now has under consideration"