Speech #500108082

The work thus producedat a price which would reduce the American worker. male and female. to a lower level than the "woman" in "The Song of the Shirt"-the Chinaman thrives upon and is prosperous and happy. But it is a prosperity and happiness that is based upon a mode of life that a homeless cur upon the streets might not envy. upon which the A merican laborer could not exist until a succession of generations had so brutalized and blunted his race proclivities thit he had degeerated into a condition worse than barbarism and become a curse to civilization. instead of what lie is today. the vital strength of a nation. We are now told. however. that in 1884 and in 1886 the Senate passed measures to restrict the immigration of Chinese. and that General Harrison did not oppose them. and that his silence should be accepted as an indorsement of them. What strange logic ! If he had chan ed his opinions. if he had acquired new light on this question. is it wt more reasonable that he would have said so than that he would have mutely disavowed his longcherished principles and stultified his most conspicuous record? His friends are boastful of his powers of speechthey say he is no Lilliputianyet upon these occasions upon a matter of great interest and importance he did not open his mouth to explain his position when the action of the Senate was to be in direct contravention of his principles and his record. Sir. this is but a poor apology to those whose interests were so vitally affected by this immigration and who had won their victory in spite of the opposition of General Harrison and a majority of his party. The passage of the act of 1882 forever settled the policy of this Government upon the subject of Chinese immigration. Since then no Representative or Senator has raised his voice in favor of it. General Harrison knew in 1886 that more than twentyfive thousand organized wageworkers in Indiana were. without regard to their political opinions. opposed to this immigration. and as a candidate for reelection to the Senate he dared not even call attention to his former votes. much less again place himself on record as favorable to it. so he silently let the bills pass. Whether he voted for them or against them. or whether he slipped into the cloakroom and did not vote at all. the records do not disclose. Is it possible that a record of more than a dozen votes against the restriction of this immigration and two in favor of conferring the rights of citizenship upon these people vanishes upon the mere silence of this august personage? The Republican members of the Senate never passed a measure restricting this immigration or permitted one to pass until a majority of their votes were recorded against it. until after the act of 1882 became a law. but since then they have been swift to legislate upon this question. The bill under consideration. if it had been passed by the House as it came from the Senate. would have left us without any law whatever upon the subject except at the pleasure of the Chinese Government. Instantly it would have repealed existing laws. while its other provisions would not have taken effect until the Chinese Government ratified the pending treaty.