Chairman. in addition to the language of this petition I wish to say that I am personally acquainted in all probability with onehalf of the signers of this petition. they are men of property. they have held and do hold today positions of trust and honor. and are among the best element in their community. and I know that morally. intellectually. in judgment and common sense. they are the peers of any member on the floor of this House. notwithstanding the sneers and insinuations made by certain members of the allwise majority party that the petitions signed by thousands and hundreds of thousands of workingmen of the great industrial States of the North were procured by coercion. This proposed bill for raising revenue. under the mistaken and blind idea that it is a check to the greed of the American manufacturer and capitalist. framed as it is in a spirit of Calhounism and sectionalism. plainly shows that the American workmen have no sympathy or consideration at the hands of the Democratic party. I quote from the speech delivered by the gentleman from Illinois . who said: If he thought wages were higher in this country than abroad he would throw down every barrier and leave wages to regulate itself all over the world. and that the object of this bill was to reduce wages and make this country less desirable for people to immigrate to. The gentleman arose in his seat the other day and qualified these remarks. but he did not modify the applause and approval of the Damocratic members on that side of the floor. The gentleman from Ohio . who has the courage of his convictions and advocates absolute free trade. pure and simple. in answer to a question when asked on the floor of this House. if he could pay the same wages with steel rails on the free list which he is now paying. said: We will do just as we have always done: hire our laborers in the freetrade markets of the world. and pay them no more than we have to.
Keywords matched
immigrate