If you grant this concession. what will be the result? You will be discriminating in favor of that part of the American merchant marine which has no competitor and against that part having competition. You who are against subsidies. can you resist the call when they come and say. "You have subsidized the local. domestic merchant marine that has no competition. that has nobody to run prices down. can not you give us some encouragement to enable us to compete with coolie labor and cheaply built vessels?" You can not resist that demand. because it will be founded in justice. and you are laying the first foundation for ship subsidies. Mark my word. if you pass this amendment that demand will come. I Another result of concession of free tolls to the domestic merchant marine will be that you are giving coastwise vessels of ten or twelve thousand tons capacity a bonus of $10.000 or $12.000 on each trip through the canal. and you tax the American merchant vessel engaged in the foreign trade bound for a foreign port for going through tie canal because they are competing with cheaply built vessels and cheap labor.
Identified stereotypes
Asian laborers are characterized as 'coolie labor' and a threat to American jobs.