The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-02-17
WESTERN LABOR MAN
KISSED N new. YORK
Walter Macarthur of San Fran.
cisco Talks at immigration
National Meeting.
Says Japanese and Koreans
Will be Menace to Country
and Is Wildly Kissed.

The following is q literal transcript
from the stenographer's notes of the
address delivered by Mr.. Walter Mac
Arthur, the representative of the Jap
anese and Korean Exclusion League, to
the National Conference on Immigra-
ton. held in Madison Square Garden,
December 8, 1905.
The fact that Mr. MacArthur's re-
marks were Kissed should give them
an added interest in the. minds Of all
unprejudiced readers who believe in
the, right to free expression and re-
spectful hearing.
Mr. Macarthur's address is herewith
reproduced as a clear and forceful ex-
position of Western sentiment on the
subject OF Asiatic Exclusion.
The chairman: The next speaker is
the representative of the Japanese and
Korean Exclusion League Of the Pa,
cine coast and is also, 1 understand,
the representative OF organized labor
IN that section of the country.
Mr. Walter Macarthur. Mr.. Presi-
dent and Gentlemen of the Confer
ence-What> may not be an important
correction. but will make It at any
rate, is that, in addition to the long list
OF titles appended to my name and noted
by the presiding officer in introducing
me, 1 am also a representative of the
state OF California, delegate along with
others by the governor of that state
to represent it upon this platform at
this time.
AS far as the question of Chinese ex-
clusion or Asiatic immigration is con-
cerned, there are no labor" men nor
"capital' men in the state of Cali
fornia. We are all exclusionists, with
out exception. This subject is an in
teresting one to those who hear Of 1t
for the first time. You like to debate
it and it may be called a debatable
question in New York City, and pos
sibly in other sections OF the East. But
as 1ar as the western section of the
United States is concerned it has
ceased to be a debatable proposition.
The question has been debated there
for twenty or thirty years. debated
not only with the weapons of logic and
reason but with weapons Of a more
forcible character. And it has been
settled for good. Chinese exclusion is
a fact and it is a fact that has come
to stay.
We are glad to be with you, TO dis
cuss this question with you. to hear
your voice and to present our own, and
we feel confident that in the summing
up you gentlemen will agree with us.
II we cannot convince you by the force
Of our example, and the force of our
reasoning power; that our attitude upon
the question Of Asiatic immigration is
the correct one, then we are confident
that you will be convinced by other
means, if, peradventure, the senti-
ment in the East should favor Asiatic
immigration. Should you determine
that Asiatic immigration in modified
form is good thing, then it is only
question of time when you will have
enough of it here to convince you of
the error of the ways SO that ultimate
ly you will be bound to agree with us
on this question.
presume that as intelligent men,
you will prefer to take time by the
forelock, to anticipate any evil re-
suits that might flow from Asiatic
immigration to take the word of the
people OF the West for it, and agree
with US to stand solidly for the MAIN
tenance OF Chinese exclusion and for
the extension Of that policy, so far as
the same may be necessary to protect
the people Of the West from the peo-
pie OF the Orient.
Mr.. President. / am not going to
read you a speech, but desire to have
something inserted In the records of
the conference which will convey the
sentiments of the people whom I rep
resent more comprehensively than it
is possible for me to do upon this
platform. and I would therefore request
the privilege of submitting these docu-
ments for Infusion in the records of
this conference. $50 saying, Mr.. Mac
Arthur produced some papers.
The Chairman: Gentlemen of the
Conference, you hear the request Of Mr..
Macarthur that he be permitted to
have published in the proceedings of
the conference certain papers here
which re submits. Is there any ob5ec
ton to the request? The chair hears
none
(Cries of objection were heard from
all parts of the house,)
A Voice: Let us know what they
are.
Lieutenant Governor West, (Geor-
gia): MI. Chairman: The great
trouble about the insertion of that in
any record here would be that the con-
ference does not know what it is.
The Chairman: Mr.. Macarthur pre-
fers to withdraw the request
Mr.. Macarthur: I was under the i'm
preston gentlemen that that course
would be permissible, that it would be
acceptable as a matter Of course. I
have not been attending these sessions
the last two days. I just arrived in
New York City this morning and l am
unacquainted with the matter of pro-
cedure of the conference. Had known
Their was likely to be any objection,
certainly should not have made the
proposal. 1 am just as well satisfied
to Withhold the matter. and to content
myself with such presentation as I am
able to make at this time.
The discussion OF the subject up to
this time has been confined, so far as
l can learn, to the Chinese phase Of the
4 nI