The Connecticut labor press., 1920-10-23
Plans Laid to Have Congress
Admit Coolies to This Country
in Order to Lower Wages and
Break Down American Stand
ards of Living, According to
American Federation Of La
boris Legislative Committee.

According to the legislative commit
tee of the American Federation of La
Dor plans have been made to lower the
standards of American living through
the importation into this country OF
Chiense coolie labor on a large scale.
Not only organized labor but the pub
lie at large should awaken to the menace
of such a proposed procedure and The
Connecticut Labor Press urges its
readers to carefully peruse the follow
ing report upon the subject made by the
committee referred to:
ITO the Executive Council of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor:
"The people of the United States are
faced with "a most dangerous menace.
Plans have been carefully and inSidi-
ously laid to present to the regular ses-
sion of Congress bill providing for the
admission of Chinese coolie labor pro-
viding the elections result satisfactorily
to the industrial autocrats and reaction
aries. The agitation has been going
on for several years intermittently. In
the last Congress members received
frequently postal card alleged to have
been sent them by the Producers
Association of Brooklyn This advo-
Gated the repeal of the Chinese Ex-
clusion Act in order that through coolie
labor the high cost of living could be
reduced
1.-THE extent of the conspiracy to
break down American standards is con-
tanned in a letter sent to various en-
ployers by F. c. Harley, chairman of
the Western States Agricultural De-
velopment Committee, San Francisco,
California. It is also emphasized by
letter from Charles T. Henderson,
chairman Of the National Agricultural
and Industrial Development Commit
tee, l743 First National Bank building,
Chicago, Ill.
Mr.. Harley thus tells of visit he
made through the east and the results
of his conferences:
THE writer was more than pleased
with the spirit shown by the business
men of Chicago and their familiarity
with the Chinese as laborers, thus rem
dering the sol ourn in your city OF long
er duration than anticipated, to assist
them in organizing the Central States
Agricultural and Industrial Committee
to obtain the needed legislation permit
ting the admission of Chinese into the
United States to do the mental work
our white labor will no longer do. My
only regret is that / could not meet you
all personally but | trust | may have
that pleasure at some future time dur
ing which interval / hope you will not
hesitate to lend your cooperation to
the Central States Committee, with
headquarters in the First National Bank
building, Chicago, under the guidance
of Mr. Chas. T. Henderson, associate
chairman, as success can only be
achieved by educating otehrs to the i'm
portance of the movement. For 7eTthont
immigration z0e must stand stall.
Mr. Henderson corroborates the
! statements made by Mr.. Harley, as he
in a letter sent to various employees
states:
These raids of the Reds, Commun-
lists and /. w. WIS emphasize the desir-
hereafter a class of labor that does not
organize, has no foolish notions of six
hour days or hve-day weeks, and does
not wish to upset our present form of
government.
"'The raising of the ban on Chinese
labor will, we believe, go far to solve
the problem of our present danger.
Our representative will call on you
shortly and we trust you may be able
to give him few moments of your time
in which to explain to you matters of
interest in connection with our work
THE present Congress is the most
reactionary Congress will be in posses
sion of the affairs of our nation until
the 4th of March, 1921 If the people
of the United States do not elect men
to the next Congress who will place
the interests of the country above those
of constituencies corporations the gates
will be opened and hordes of Chinese
coolies will be admitted. The last at
tempt to destroy the Chinese Exclusion
Act was made in 1905, and the A. F.
of l. convention of that year unani-
mously declared
We make no pretense that the ex-
clusion of Chinese can be defended
upon high ethical ground, but we in
sist it is our essential duty to maintain
and preserve our physical condition and
standard of living and civilization, and
thus to assure us the opportunity for
the development of our interior and
moral character. Self-preservation al
ways has been regarded as the first law
of nature 1t is principle from which
We must not and ought not depart:
mo greater crime could be permitted
against the workers as well as the
people of our land than to open the
doors to Chinese immigration. The Chi
nese can live where an American would
starve. Not only would it destroy
C(OAOIuk\ SIdIIAdl0 Dol
would eridanger the prosperity of the
country, for where labor is cheap pros
perity is only for the few.
"State declarations, central bodies and
local unions should Immediately organ
ize to demand of their respective con-
gressmen, both senator's and represen-
tatives, that they vote against such
cruel, despicab1e and contemplate pro-
position. Those who passed through
the agitation in the early COS against
Chinese immigration can realize the
danger to our Republic by their adj
mission now.
mo man who advocates Chinese i'm
migration is an American. He does not
in any sense represent the feelings or
opinions of the people He stands for
greed, oppression, and against all that
has made our country great. Not only
will the organized and unorganized
workers be affected, but the merchants
and business men of all kinds will feel
the effects of coolie immigration. Only
unfair employers, blinded by greed, will
benefit, but in time they will suffer also.
st is difficult to believe that any sane
citizen of the United States who IS