Speech #880070487

In the era of railroad building. we find that the railroads utilized another form of cheap. captive labor. Thousands of Chinese were used in railroad construction gangs. These coolies were often brought in under a contract which exchanged their labor for passage to the United States. The importation of Chinese labor eventually reached such proportions that legislative remedies were demandedthe Oriental Exclusion Act resulted. But there were yet other markets for cheap labor. Many entrepreneurs turned to Europe. Workers. skilled and unskilled alike. would be contracted to perform work for a company or persons over a period of 2 or 3 years in exchange for passage to this country. By the 1880s this contract labor reached scandalous proportions. and again legislative remedies were demanded. In 1885. a law was passed which prohibited the contracting of foreign laborers. Thus it would seem that the system of captive labor had at last come to an end. But here today. in the 20th century78 years laterwe find that the contracting of foreign labor is carried on with the blessing of our Government. There is essentially no difference between the indentured servant and the bracero. nor is there much difference between the coolies of the 19th century and todays bracero. Neither is there much difference between the contracted laborer of the 1880s and todays bracero. Yet all these captive laborers passed from the scene by 1885.