Speech #480123095

Mfy objection to the bill in the shape in which it is as it came from the committee is that it pretends to do something and really and practically does nothing except to throw a sop to Cerberus. to pat the American laborer on the head by giving him a bill which amounts to nothing. Because some Knight of Labor has telegraphed or has petitioned some Senator or Member of Congress. we throw him this taffy to satisfy the clamoi of the American laborer. giving him a sham when he wants something real. givinghim a bill which has nothing in it. instead of putting back into his pocket the eightyfive millions annually which we take from his pocket. and in that way furnish him employment. Eightyfive million dollars in ten years would accumulate an enormous sum of money. and yet we are told that we protect the American laborer by taking $85.000.000 annually out of his pocket. and robbing his wife and his children of the necessaries of life in so doing. and when the demand is made upon Congress for relief we come in and with a sham and pretense like this say that that satisfies the demand of the American laborer and protects him against being underbid by imported pauper labor and servile labor. as it has been termed. If we are going to do that. let us do it. I will go as far as the Senator from New Hampshire or any other Senator in an honest effort to protect American labor from the invasion of pauper or servile labor from China.