Montana news. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1904-191?, 1908-01-16

"nen cOnsiuerlng the lnle1ndtiondi
resolution on immigration from the
standpoint of American conditions,
one cannot help endorsing the stand
taken against it by many Socialists,
among them Victor L. Berger and
Ernst Untermann. These two com.
rades are especially bitter in their de-
nunciations of the resolution in ques.
tion, also the position of the Ameri-
can delegation with reference TO it,
and one feels beyond doubt that the
facts warrant it.
The immigration problem is pecul.
iarly American, no European country
is faced with it, and this alone should
recommend it to the serious considera.
tion of every American Socialist. The
party press with few exceptions un-
fortunately have given it but little
publicity, which is an example that
the Montana News cannot afford to
copy. The rank and file should be in
possession of the facts so that it will
know what course to pursue.
The influx during recent years of
large masses of people from the
Asiatic countries are clearly a menace
to American working class interests,
and the unmistakable attitude of
American unions towards them Gem
phasized recently on the Pacific coast,
particularly in British Columbia and
San Francisco by the aggressive tac-
tics employed by union men in those
places to stem the tide Of the influx
of these undesirsbles) was the prin.
cipal cause that brought the immigra-
tion up for the party consideration.
The movement for the exclusion of the
Asiatics originating in a few isolated
places on the Pacific coast had before
the meeting of the international con-
gress spread over the greater part of
the country. In Canada it was made
by union men a national issue.
The National Executive Board of
the Socialist party realizing its sig.
nificanee and the consequent need of
opinion on the question, accordingly
drew up a resolution to be presence
for the consideration of the Stuttgart
congress, instructing the American
delegation to support it.
The principal clause, which is taken
from the Untermann article on the
subject in the Miners Magazine, runs
as follows:
"After carefully am quoting th'
preliminary remarks of Comrade I'm
termann-distinguishing between vol
untary and artificially stimulated i'm.
migration, which does not directly af
feet the living conditions of tho
American working class, it continues:
"Both these forms of immigratioI
must, however, be carefully distius
uished from the deliberate importation
of foreign labor by the capitalist class
for the purpose of increasing the com.
petition between the working men OF
the importing country, lowering their
wages and breaking the power Of their
organizations.
"Such importe laborers, wheFicr
individually hired by contracts in
other capitalistic countries, or import
ed in masses from countries as yet
hardly tousas by the capitalist mr'ie
of production, and the resultant lass
struggle, supply an eyc- really army OF
strike-breakers and are as a rule in
accessible to the Socialist anl trade
union propaganda.
For the sake Of plainne's II may be
here Motel that the late clause refers
solely to Asiatic immigration, which II
considers to be cqul'iy dangerous
whether Il be under contra's or purely
voluntary
The resolution continues: "Iusticc
and wisdom alike dictate to the work,
ingmcn Of every country 20 treat tho
involuntary and unfortunate immi.
grants of their class with the same