Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-09-08
JUDGE T. K. CHEADLE'S labor DAY ADDRESS
Speech Delivered in This City Last Monday=Some Vital
Questions Consdered-Chinese and Japanese mmi-
gration-Manhood of More Importance Than
Weath=Advce to Labor Unions.

and from which they would profit more
highly than they can in any other
direction.
Should be No Glasses.
I have said that it concerns all of
us to maintain the highest possible
standard among what are called the
working people of our country, and
I want to say right here that l object
to the division of American citizens in
to classes. There is nothing more
destructive of American citizenship,
there can be nothing more destructive
of equality before the law which the
founders of our government sought
to bestow upon us. than this un-
American conception of dividing so.
ciety up into classes. 1t ought to be
good enough for any man to be SIM
ply an American citizen. American
citizenship means a great DEAL 1t
has been bought for us with a great
price, and when we introduce these
olious so-called class distinctions, we
are doing a great deal to degrade that
which the fathers of this republic es.
tablished and which generations of he
roes and patriots have handed down
to us; and we owe it to ourselves to
mairtain it and to those who come
1SiIer us to pass It on unimpaired. and,
if possible. make it a little better than
it was when we received it. There is
nothing, I say, that will introduce dis
cord among us sooner than this con-
ception of different classes. Gentle
: men, for more than two thousand
, ha inn Nf
strOve to lift themselves out of class
: condition; they strove to make them,
) selves equal with all other men before
, the law. and we have substantially
r attained that. and it is retrogression
it is step backward. to try to rein
3 troduce the idea that there are or can
: be classes among American citizens;
1 the ultimate result of it would be that
, every man who works with his hands
| would finally wear livery designat-
g ing his employment. That is just the
: condition of affairs that mankind has
s emerged from after a long and pain
I full struggle And yet there be those
S who would re-instate it if they could.
i | caution you not to entertain such
: ideas, but to simply stand on the
S privilege of being an American citi-
e zen. In the palmy days of Rome the
= prOudest boast man could utter was
e that he was Roman citizen, and it
) ought to be the same in the republic
l. of the United States today. Then,
= too. think we should do everything
) to maintain the highest possible con.
It dition among those who labor. wheth-
9 Ter it be with their hands or their
9 brain. There are many insidious in
/. fluences at work at all times to lower
d this standard, not Intentionally, per
y haps. but measures are often advo
v Gated. or frequently so, which have
for their inevitable tendency the de
: graduation of labor, meaning by this
- manual labor.
~ Chinese immigration.
IS At the present time, you will OBJ
le serve, there has been agitation call
X ing for a more liberal construction
Ks of the existing laws regarding Chi
id nese immigration, and moves in Ger
is tain quarters for repeal of such law
~ and suggestions of importing Chinese
lie coolies into this country, and Japan
I'd csc coolies as well. Now, gentlemen
d. without unduly commenting. on tn,
p nation of China or Japan-which ha
in proved itself a gallant little nation
IN | say that the United States can
ey not afford to open the doors of immi
m grafton to one ASiatc cOOle, and TO
Ia two reasons: One is that that MAJ
ey VIII 1--we better n ten cents than tn
We American can on a dollar, and ar
nd other reason is that they are alien t
at us in race; they cannot become cit
at zens OF our country, and we don't wan
is any one here who will either lowe
,st the standard of living among our eli
We liens or who cannot become ger
cs ulne citizen of the United State!
IN For these two reasons these two race
err should be forever barred from tn
oh United States. (Applause). And Their
in are others. All of us, nc matter wha
to our political beliefs or affiliation.
ce whether we be Republican, Demo
as crat. Populist or Socialist, can ce
GU talnly agree on that proposition: an
er think when we examine things car,
l fully We should find that we can agre
.er pretty well on nearly all the fund;
,at mental propositiOns-those things thu
ri. directly and chiefly concern our pro-
ng perity and well being.
IN There are many other races tha
i'd should be barred from the Unite
OF States. Southern Europe is sendin
en- in hordes of immigrants every month
en- every week and every day. They com
at, here, for the most part. poor, ignoran
IRE incapable of assimilating themselve
I'm with American civilization. Now.
en- say this not out of hostility to any {
nd these people, because we ought nc
ms to despise or hate any human bein,
be- but because self-protection is the fir.
'er law OF nature. say that all men {
IN this class should be barred from tn
ds United States, absolutely and fore,
nix er. (Applause). We should not fa-
VS. or the admission of those who cannt
I'd reach the standard of American ci
ny iZenship which obtains here at pre-
gu ent. We have already got, | thin]
Us as many alien elements as our eli
lal ll1Zation is capable of assimilatin
at. 1t is Just like person eating a meal
ry- II he eats too much, or if he eat
use things he cannot digest, internal tro
We Bile results, and that is precisely VIII;
q ails the United States at the prese1
OF time. We have got too many allie
'ut elements and too many elements thu
ed We cannot properly assimiate, an
ed hence great deal of our troubl
es- The only argument | know of for I'll
mi ,f