Speech #470057070

Then. I ask him to join with us. sentiment of our people have led the Government to offer the widest bospitalityto He seeks to protect the laborer in the mills and factories of New Engemigrants who seek our shores for new and happier homes. willing to share the land. WhynothelpustoprotectthelaboreruponthePacificeoast? biiens as well as the benefits of our society. and intending that their posterity Ho appeals to the people of the United States and to Conrss to shall become an undistinguishable part of our popelation." g retain protective legislation on the statutebook in order that the Then the Senator proceeds to say. or rather to ask this most sig- wages of the operative class may remain high. yet at the same time nificant question: he does not favor. a measure to prevent an incursion of a class of Is Chatlikeen enactent tlint n Chinese shall over lenaturalized intheAmr- foreign pauper labor from China. by the side of which the pauper ian Republic 9 labor of Europe. about which he and those who think with him have so much to say. has no comparison and no relation whatever. It is the naturalization clause which seems to trouble him as well If the Senator does not now know and understand the length and as restricting Chinese labor. but he proceeds with the letter of breadth of this question. I assure him that the working classes everyacceptance: where upon this side of the Rocky Mountains begin to comprehend The recent movement of the Chinese to oar Pacific coast partakes but little of it. And they will not fail to see and to understand that the substithe qualities of such an immigration. either in its purposes or its result. It is too tution of Chinese as common laborers. and in the trades and arts. for mach like an importation tobe welcomed without restrictions. tee much like an American laborers on the Pacific coat. moans also their substitution invasion to be looked upon without solicitude. We cannot consent to allow any form of servile labor to be introduced among us under the guise of immigration. for and to the detriment and degradation of American and other Recognizing the gravi$y of this subject. the presentAdministration. supported by laborers in the mills and factories of New England. and upon the Congress. has sent to China a commission of distinguished citizens for the pur- cotton. rice. and sugar plantations of the South. This agitation will peaso of securing such a modification of the existing treaty awillprevent tie evils ond cot likely to arise rom the present sitation. It is confidontly beloved that these not diplomatic negotiations will be successfl without the loss of commercial inter. Mr. President. it has now been a little over a century since the course between the two powers. whichpromises agreatincreaseofreciprocal trade people of Boston took very strong steps to evade and prevent the and the enlargement of our markets. hould these efforts fail. it willbe the duty execution of certain laws of the mother country in regard to taxation. of Congress to mitigate the vils already felt and prevent their increase by su h restrictios as. without vitree or injutice. will place upon a sure founantieo They resolved that they would drink no more tea. and to be sure the nesae of our communities and the freedom and disnitv of labn. that they should keen their resoluetion they dumned all the tea into Boston Harbor. The people upon the Pacific coast have resolved that this Chinese immigration must cease. I will not say that in order to keep that resolution we will drive the Chinese into the Pacific Ocean. but I will say to the Massachusetts Senators that the people who live on the Pacific coast. like those who settled on the New England shore. are Caucasians. and in the veins of many of them flows the blood of New England men. They have carried your institutions. the schoolhouse and the church. and planted them upon the Pacific slope. They have reclaimed from a wilderness and from savage control that section of our countrya grand empire of itself. and they will not surrender that beautiful land to become the home of the Asiatic nor to the blight of Asiatic labor. More. sir. they have not only carried the institutions of New England and the older States and the love of liberty to that far distant country. where they have taken permanent root. but they have carried with them that which is better and more important. that which has given Massachusetts the proud record and name which she has always maintained. a quality known only to the Caucasian. an unchanging purpose. born of the race. never to submit to tyranny and oppression. We have appealed to Congress for lo! these many years. Our appeals have been scouted and derided. Measures for our relief have been twice defeated by Presidential veto. We are here again asking nothing but a small measure ofjustice and we appeal to you to give us the hettle relief this measure will bring. in order that we may stay for the present the scourge that is now upon us until better judgment and better knowledge here shall prevai] respccting the evils of this tide of Mongolian immigration.