The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11

more the Hebrews were cursed ana
struck and ill-used and murdered by the
Egyptians the more their numbers grew,
and the more of menace they became to
the Egyptian government The labor
question, ON account or the brutalities
practieed under the shadow Of Pharaoh s
throne in 1873 B. c.. became as imminent
and dangerous as is the labor question in
the United States Of America in 1904. A.
d, under the shadow or the statue of
the Goddess of Liberty which stands in
New York harbor, and with uplifted arm
declares that all men in this land are
free and equal.
This Is the first Sunday in September
tomorrow is Labor day Many preach
efs this Sabbath morning will be talking
10 the mechanics. the clerks and the
farm hands, to the masons, the carpen-
ters and plumbers, and to all those who
work with their hands 1t is not inappro-
pirate that this morning / should pre-
sent some of the conditions that are af-
fiicting American labor II in this talk
should speak frankly concerning cap
ital, | shall speak with equal candor con-
corning labor. for l firmly believe, as a
dear friend of mine said to me a few
days ago, that "the greatest curse labor
has to bear today does not come from
capital, but from labor itself" One-sided
or biased treatment of the labor question
will never help to solve the labor prob
lem.
'The more the Egyptian master ar
flicted the Hebrew slaves" says our text,
the more they multiplied and grew,
and the Egyptian grieved because of the
children of Isreal." Labors afflictionsi
We first find them in the American labor
er being compelled to compete for work
in a home market that is g.utted with
foreign immigrants We rind them In
ha of ft,tto
year disembarks at Ellis island, New
York's castle garden of the present day.
We find them in the impoverished Ital-
ians and the Bohemians and the Port
uguese and in the human offscourings of
Europe who each year come to our man.
ufacturers and foundrymen and contrac-
tors and say: Let me handle your pick"
Let me lay your asphalt pavement"
Let me dig your Mines Let me chop
your wood" Let me work in your foun-
dries 1--WE are foreigners We do not
intend to become citizens of the United
States AS soon as we can save up a
little money We intend to return to our
native land and live there. But mean
time We will work cheaper than any
American man can work. Why? Because
our living expenses are practically moth.
ing. We will live in dugouts We will
eat food that no American family can
eat. We will buy no books and will wear
the cheapest clothing. AS a result of
these conditions of living we can crowd
your American workmen to the WALL
Protect American Laborers.
The American laborer, from this for
eign competition must have help, and
help right soon. to save him from this
condition of affairs. Our national legis-
lature must give it. Shall we lift high
our tariff walls to protect capital and
not at the same time lift high our walls
of immigration laws to protect our ma
tive workers? Is not the American labor
er's sturdy arm as valuable in the sight of
our government as the capitalists peck
etbook? what do you mean by such
statement as that" some one asks.
Would you start another Know Nothing
party? Would your ballot box slogan be
American work only for American born
American political offices only to be held
by those graded under the shadow of
Mount Washington and Pixies peak?'
Oh, no; / am not preaching anysuch po-
litieal nonsense. / do not be lieve there
ever was political party wrapped in
the swaddling clothes of so many errors
as that born in 1858, and which, with ex-
president Willard Fillmore as its presi-
dental candidate, swept many of our
northern states in 1856 with the political
cry, r'America only for American born"
both on land and sea, mlitarily and in.
dustrialy, have been won and built up
by Americas adopted sons as well as by
her native born children. Were there not
foreigners among George Washingtons
mightiest companions in arms? Baron
Johann De Kalb, who was shot at Cam
den In 1880, and Kosciuslxo and LAFAYETTE
end many others-they We're all foreingn
born Who was the most valued states
man during Washington administration
next to the President himself? Alexander
Hamilton, who was foreign born. Who
was John Ericsson, the inventor of the
Monitor, that revoutonized naval war
fare and saved the American navy off
Newport News? He was a Swedish-Amer-
lean; he was foreign born. Some of our
greatest merchants like A. 4. Stewart of
New York; our greatest foundrymen like
Andrew Carnegie of Pittsburg; our great
est scientists like Agassiz of Harvard.
our social reformers like Jacob A. Riis
Of New York ard the most eminent polit-
ical leaders of our day like Carl Schurz,
once senator from Missouri and member
of President Hayes cabinet-they were
all foreign born. If you blot out from
our nations history all the deeds which
Americas foster sons and daughters have
accomplished for the land of their adop-
tion you blot out some Of its brightest
pages.
Where to Draw the Line.
But while we, as American citizens
would welcome gladly into our midst the
German or Englishman or Scotchman or
Swede and the men of any roreign nation
ality who with intelligence would come
among us and say Brother, give me
thy hand, for today | would be one
with you and become an American citi-
zen," yet today we would not welcome
the ignorant, the idle, the filthy the
pauper the lazzaroni or the criminal
offscourings of Europe or Asia. who
would come to this land, not to become
American citizens but to stay here just
long enough to scrape together a few
thousand dollars and then go back to
the land of their birth. We would not
welcome the ignorant and depraved of
foreign lands, who would underbid our
American wofkmen and compel our Amer
lean boys and girls to live in dugouts
or as rats in a cellar as they live. These
classes have neither part nor parcel in
the glorious inheritance Of freedom and
equality for which our forefathers fought
and bled While we would gladly open
our gates to the oppressed of other lands
we would shut them against a horde that
can have no appreciation for the precious
privilege of American citizenship and nc
sympathy with our national aims and am
bitions, and whose coming is rs much Of
menace to our people cloud of
locusts Is to a harvest field. Nations,
like individuals, should be wise as well
as generous in their hospitality. We
must protect ourselves against the indus