Speech #500055328

Yes. sir. and the Supreme Court of the United States passed upon the validity of that law. They held that the law prohibiting the importation of foreign contract labor is a valid. constitutional exercise on the part of Congress of the power invested in it to regulate commerce with foreign nations. Now if we can tacitly prevent the importation of foreign labor. and if Justice McLean in an obiter dictum in which he is clearly wrong. draws a distinction between the right to regulate commerce with foreign nations and the right to regulate commerce between the States. a difference that does not exist. why. then. have not we the same right to do it between the States as we have between foreign nations. and wherein does the distinction lie ? [Here the hammer fell.]