Hemingray Glass Company - Employees / Labor Relations

L. U. 23 MAKES A GOOD MOVE.

Adopts Ringing Resolutions on

Chinese Exclusion Act.

At the last regular meeting of L. U. 23, A. F. G. W. U. of Muncie, Ind., the following resolution was unanimously passed and a copy ordered sent to the Senators and Congressmen:

WHEREAS, The act excluding Chinese labors from the United States will expire May 5, 1902, and it is held by those who favor the unlimited immigration of Chinese labors, that the passage on an exclusion law would be detrimental to the commercial interests of the United States, when as a matter of fact, the limited benefits of trade to be obtained by the so-called open-door policy of China can not, in even the smallest degree, recompense our people for the immensely greater loss caused by the displacement of our own countrymen who are consumers as well as producers, while the contrasted consuming power of the Chinese laborer is limited almost exclusively to products of China, and the surplus of his earnings is sent out of this country, where it is earned, checking its prosperity while the money paid as wages to our own people remains and correspondingly enriches us, stimulating our own industry and trade, thereby tending to continue national prosperity, the very opposite effect as obtained by the employment of Chinese; and

Whereas, The exclusion of Chinese is no more a question of cheap labor than it is a question of American citizenship, the quality of which is largely determined by the general economic condition of the individual citizen; and

Whereas, The presence in our country of a people entirely out of harmony, and training with American comprehension of liberty and citizenship, who are alien to our customs and habits; as different from us in political and moral ideas as it is possible for two people to be; who are so thoroughly in race characteristics that even the generations born and reared among us still retain them; can not but exclude a most demoralizing effect upon the body politic, the social life and the civilization of the people of our nation, now and for all time; and,

Whereas, The 50 years of residence of Chinese in the United States, notably in California, has demonstrated their utter disregard for all our laws, civil and criminal, while enforcing for their own illegal edicts of blackmail and murder, emanating from representatives of their Tongs or companies; and,

Whereas, Official investigations have exposed a condition of affairs in the state of California, the people of which had and still have to bear the brunt of this Asiatic contamination, almost incredible to our people, in which gambling hells, opium joints, dens of iniquity and vice, are but superficial evidences of a moral standard as degrading in its exhibition as it is demoralizing by its contrast; and

Whereas, By reasons of their low wages the Chinese have successfully invaded a number of trades and callings, displacing many thousands of our own people, and lowered the standard of wages, living, and morals of all others affecting thereby the most important factors essential to our industrial and social development; and

Whereas, Failure to enact an effective Chinese exclusion law, both for the mainland of the United States and for our insular possessions, would open the gates of the United States and afford the opportunity for millions of this, the most dangerous and undesirable element, to further invade and utterly rule trades and callings now providing a living to American mechanics and laborers to whom such immigration would be nothing short of a calamity; therefore, be it

Resolved, That American Flint Glass Workers' Union, No. 23, of the city of Muncie, State of Indiana, the 2nd day of February, 1902, in meeting assembled, most respectfully but urgently request the Congress of the United States to speedily and before the termination of the present law enact Senate bill 2960 or House bill 9330, excluding Chinese persons from entering any part of the United States or its domain; and, be it furthermore

Resolved, That we view with alarm all proposals to indicate to China or to the Department of State of the United States to recede, in any degree from our present national policy of excluding Chinese laborers; and we strongly protest against the adoption of any exclusion law limiting the continuance of that exclusion policy to December 7, 1903, and we urgently favor that feature of the bill hereinbefore mentioned as Senate bill No. 2960, and House bill No. 9330, which fixes no time for expiration.

Resolved, That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted to our representatives in Congress and to the two United States Senators from this state, with the urgent solicitation for their co-operation in the passage of the bills enumerated,

Therefore, the above preamble and resolutions are respectfully submitted to you, with the request that the same be presented to the United States Senate or to the House of Representatives as a petition from the above organization.    JOHN DODD, President.

Attest:   J. K. SMITH, Secretary