Imperial Valley press., 1918-04-20
HEAD OF CATHOLIC CHURCH OF
THIS DIOCESE SAYS IMPORTA-
TION OF ORIENTAL LABOR
WILL NOT SOLVE ECONOMIC
PROBLEMS OF STATE.
California Must Be an Asylum for OPP
pressed of Other Lands. States Bish-
op Cantwell-State Depends for Its
Greatness on the Soil and We Must
Take Care of Farm Workers.

lake Care OF Farm workers.
Santa Barbara, Cal, April 20
Justice to the poverty stricken alien
and the casual worker, rather than
the importation of Oriental labor, con-
stitute the solution Of California s
labor problem, Rt Rev. John J. Cant
we'll. Bishop of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Monterey and Los Ange-
les, declared here in an address be-
fore the Conference of Social Agen-
cies on American Principles.
Asylum given to the oppressed from
other lands, he said, has been justi-
fled in their response to Americas
call to aims, but he warned his audi
ence that disrespect for the law on
the part of the wealthy, and the un-
righteous accumulation of riches,
means also contempt for the law by
the ignorant who see it violated.
Coming from lands where princi-
piles so vital are ignored, or pre-
served as a matter of expediency;
where the benignity of government
is psrsonified in the tax collector, the
policeman and the jailer, it. is not
hard to conceive how strangers may
come to think that our guarantees
are little worth and that our Con-
stltution but a scrap of paper he
said. Especially would this be true
if any section of the community, ac-
cumulating vast fortunes. should form
so exclusive class in our democracy
and so carry themselves as to embt-
ter their less fortunate brethren, and
lead them to believe that the ilnpe Il
GUS aristocracy of the Old World. with
all its evils, had established itself in
the New World
''1n such circumstances the discon-
tented majority will not subsist in
penury when the house of wealth and
luxury is across the street
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is a
very practical matter California
must depend for its greatness on the
land. Our mines Of gold and silver
may continue to yield precious metal
and our wells to give oil in abun-
dance. The SHOWS that perpetually
ghsten on our mountain peaks NAV
ever fill our reservoirs and give pow
er to mill and factory, but above the
sum of the mill and the roar of the
furance is heard the call of the farm
er from out the great valleys ask
ing for labor and yet more labo~.
These valleys must he cultivated
largely by land-owning peasantrv.
unless we return to the state Of the
Roman Empire at the opening of the
Christlon era and import-as soma
would have it-hordes of half slaves
from the Orient. Who can resist the
demand if the laborer will not stav
on the land and will yield his place
to the tramp. If, however, conditions
on our ranches, large and small. are
improved and humanized, there will
be no need of Oriental laborers.
I'VE have brought here thousands
Of Mexicans. We are glad to use
their labor. We do not, if they so
desire, deny them citizenship no. re-
fuse them the pursuit of happiness.
But what do we do to inspire them
with love for our country. to make
them eager to be one of ourselves.
Ladies and gentlemen, we must do
more than give them a place in barr
with the horse and the COW. You
must give them the manner and the
conVenlences Of American life. and
make 1t your business to better their
social and domestic surroundings. You
must show them that to be an Ameri-
can is better than to be Roman in
an older day.
when | speak of the Mexican. T
speak also Of all unorganized labor-
ers who spend most Of the wear in
mps along the great timbers. who
sweat weary hours under the bro;ling
sun OF the great valleys, Of that un-
numbered multitude in the great in
dustnal centers, of that large class
that lives from day to day, that knows
not the peimanency Of home, but
which pines for domesticity as dearly
as any one in this audience"
"Organized labor is patriotic. It is
quite capable Of securing its rights
and sooner or later its fair share of
remuneration. 1t is the unorganized
or loosely organized multitude that
when discontented will become the
IDreV of tho amhitiouc Aaroa0oo,uoe