The wageworker. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1904-????, 1908-03-28
TAFT AND CHEAP LABOR.


Not alone because he was the |
Original injunction judge" is William !
Howard Taft opposed by trades union
lists. Judge Taft's record on the |
cheap labor proposition is sucn as to
condemn him in the eyes of thought |
full and far-seeing workingmen. Just
new when workingmen are interested
in preventing the letting down of
the bars to yellow labor it might be
we'll to quote some of Judge Taft's
utterances on the subject. not in a
spirit of malice, but just to show
how he stands.
William Howard Taft, in speech
at Miami University. Ohio, on June
Is, 1905, gave plain utterance to
his belief that the bars should be
let down to an invasion of yellow
labor. to an invasion of Chinese labor
that would enter into competition
with American labor, his purpose be-
ing to enable the American manu-
facture to secure a market in China
for his goods. On that occasion
Judge Taft said:
fought we to throw away the ad-
vantaqes which we have by reason Of
China's natural friendship for US and
continue to enforce an unjustly Sc
we're law and thus create in the Chi
nese mind disposition to boycott
American trade and to drive our
American merchants from Chinese
shores simply because we are afraid
that we may for the time lose the
approval Of certain unreasonable and
extremely popular leaders Of caiifor-
mia and other coast states?
"Doee the question not answer It.
self ie Il not the duty Of members
Of congress and. Of the executive to
disregard the unreasonable demands
o. . portion Of the community, deeply
pveIudIeed upon the subject, in the far
wcst, and insist on extending justice
and courtesy to people from whom
we are deriving and likely to derive
such immense benefit in the way Of
international trader"
Is 1t not the duty of congress and
the executive to DISREGARD THE
UNREASONABLE DEMANDS OF A
PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY.
deeply prejudiced upon the subject,
in the far west. and INSIST ON EN-
TENDING JUSTICE AND COUR-
TESY TO A PEOPLE FROM WHOM
WE ARE DERIVING AND ARE
LIKELY TO, DERIVE SUCH I'M
MENsE BENEFITS IN THE WAY
OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE?"
What portion of the community is
making these unreasonable de-
mands?"
o, only the workingman who Is
already engaged in life and death
struggle against an industrial system
that makes of him a mere human
machine. Absurd that the work
ing man, the American workingman,
should receive any consideration
when that consideration means a les
sening OF the opportunities of the
capitalists to further exploit him at
home and the markets abroad.
And to whom does Judge Taft insist
that we shall extend justice and
courtesy" in order to reap immense
benefits in the way of international
trader"
Why, the Chinaman, of course. Is
he not entitled to justice and cour.
tcsy in order that our manufacturers
may acquire big foreign markets
even IL the American workingman
must lower himself to the level of the
Chinaman in order to be able to com
pete with him in the labor market?
After cheerfu!ly voting for years te
protect the American manufacturer
against the pauper made products O
Europe, with the result that we have
developed a system of millionairedon
that astonishes the world with 1t.
Carnegies, its Rockefellers, its Nor
gans, it's Gates, it's Havemeyers, ant
its tricks, the American workingmaI