Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-13
REPLY By MR.. GOMPERS
SAYS CHAIRMAN sHoNTs' STATE
MENT Is A RARE DOCUMENT.
Chinese Exclusion Law as Applied to
Construction Of Panama Canal
-Eight-Hour Principle.

Samuel Gompers, president Of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor. today issued q
statement replying to a published inter-
view Of Theodore p Shonts. chairman OF
the fsthmian canal commission. relative
to the employment Of Chinese on Panama
canal work. Mr.. Gompers says:
1.-The statement given out by Mr.. Shonts,
chairman Of the Panama canal commits
sion. Is q rare document. II his judgment
on canal matters is as wide Of accuracy
as his statement OF fact and law. the peo-
pie are certainly in bad way SO far as
any hope Of the actual completion OF the
canal. whether near or remote. OF course.
1t Is useless now to discuss with Mr..
shonts as to the advisability o. the eight
hour law in Panama canal construction.
He had sufficient influence with the Con-
gress hostile to labor to secure the annul-
msnt of not only the eight hour law. but
the eight-hour principle, in the construc-
ton Of the Panama canal The future will
determine the judgment Of the people OF
our country upon that subject.
But as to his statement that the Chinese
exclusion law specifically sets forth that
such laws are only to be applicable to terri
tory at that time subject to the authority OF
ment of the law. and that the canal zone
was acquired subsequent to that date, Is
simply absurd. There is no such provision
In the law as he states It,
Chinese from the United States and its pos
sessions was passed in March, 1903.
Said to Be an Absurdity.
This Is another one Of Mr.. Shonts' absur-
dities for no such law was passed at the
time stated by him. the law of April. 1902,
being an amendment Of the law Of 1883 for
the exclusion of the Chinese contains this:
And the same claw Of 1889 are hereby re-
enacted extended and continued, without
modification. Limitation or condition.
and said laws shall also apply to the island
territory under the jurisdiction of the United
States.
THE law of April. 1904 amendatory of
the law of 1888 and Of 1902, re-enacts this
language. and Congress has not legislated
further upon that subject. Does Mr.
Shonts contend that the Panama canal Is
not under the jurisdiction of the United
States?
For some time previous to my interview
with Mr. Shonts in the office OF the
isthmian canal commission, 1t was fire.
Quently published that he contemplated en-
ploying Chinese in Panama. and also that
he did not believe that the eight-hour law
then applied to the Panama canal construc-
ton. The encouragement wrote an opin-
ion that the eight-hour law did apply upon
the ground that 1t was an American pos
session 1t was because of Mr.. Shonts posi-
ton that, together with James O'COnnell,
president of the International Association
of Machinists and vice president of the
upon Mr.. Shonts with the intention of DIS
cussing both his eight-hour contention and
to protest against the employment OF
Chinese.
As to Misrepresentation.
I'VE were unable to persuade Mr.. Shonts
from his anti-eight-hour position. There
were but few minutes devoted to the SUBJ
ject OF the employment of Chinese on the
Panama canal for the reason that Mr..
Shonts so emphatically declared that 1t was
not his intention to employ Chinese in the
construction of the canal and they would
not be employed under his administration.
Today asked Mr.. OConnell as to whether
his recollection bore out Mr.. Shonts that
my Statement was due to any msapprehen-
sion on my part. He, answered that the
misrepresentation was entirely on the part
of Mr.. Shonts and not mine.
Congress violated the eight-hour prin-
ciple; now Chairman Shonts proposes to
violate the Chinese exclusion law upon
which fact and principle there Is such
deep-seated sentiment and conviction
among the people Of our country