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THE LEE COUNTY JOURNAL
VO X 1
GOMPERS KI(KS
ON CHINAKEN
D:ncunces Government Scheme to
Employ Them on Canat Work.
8-HOUR LAW IS INVOLVED
Contracts {o Be Supervised by Szcretary
" Taftand Labor Sharks Wiil Have
No Chance to Graft,
Samuel Gompers, I)l‘esident' of the
American Federation of Labor, has is
sued a statement regarding the ac
tion of the isthmian canal commission,
deciding to work Chinese laborers on
the canal. The statement is as fol
lows:
“It seems that those in charge of
the Panama canal construction have
regard for netther law nor principles.
First, in the most extraordinary man
ner the eight-hour law is annulled in
the greatest public work ever under
taken by the government, under the
pretense (Lat conditions there are dif
Jerent than in the United States. K
must appeal to the veriest tyro thag
¥ eight hours’ work is regarded ag
sufficient in the comparatively tempem
ate zone of the United States, cenm
tainly ten, eleven and even more
hours of labor a day in the pesti
lential and miasmatic atmosphere of
the Panama zone are not only im
proper, but outrageous and brutal.
“The existing law excludes Chiness
laborers and coolies from the United
States or any of its possessions. Tha
Panama canal zone is an American
possession, and it is as much a viola
tion of the law to bring Chinese coo
lies there as it is in other portions
of our country. .
“Some time ago, in an interview I
had with Chaiggpan Shonts, I pro
tested agaipst the employment of Chi
nese coolies in the Panama canal con
struction. He emphatically stated that
it was not the intention then to em
ploy Chinese coclies, and they would
not be employed under his adminis
tration.”
A Washington special says: Care
will be taken by the United States
government to pisvent contractors
from doing injustice to the (Chinese
laborers employed for work on the
Panama canal. The specifications ad
vertising for proposals to supply 2,500
Chinese to the canal commission,
will stipulate that the secretary of
@ar shall have the prividage of pass
e on contracts which labor agents
make with the Chinese who are to
be sent to the isthmus.
This provision will make it possible
for Seceretary Taft to prevent discrim
ination against the coolies by the un
scrupulous contractors, Under this
arrangement the Us=:ted States will
know exactly what the Chinese are
paid by the labor agents and the
Chinesze government will be able to
afford its subjects protection on thz
{sthmus because of the ease with
which this government will be abie
to regulate the relations between the
Chines laborers ana the contractors.
Many contractors are seeking to
supply the first 2,500 Chinese for the
canal work. Until the specifications
for the contracts are published, con
tractors wili nat be able to give anv
idea as to the wage they must have
for Chinese laborers on the canal
zone. Some labor agents believe that
wizh the many restrictions the canal
commission purposes placing upon
cortractors it will not be possible to
supply the Chinamen at less th‘:m
$1 a day. Othee ag‘gnts are of the
opinjon that the coolies can be s%ll)-
plied for 50 or 60 cents a day, with
a fair margin of profit to the con
tr:ito;:maisa, West Indians are em
ployed under long time contracts ‘at,
prices ranging from 25 cents a dd‘
and rations, which (;:ost only a few
50 cents a day.
ce;t:sttr(;cfions and safeguards thrown
about these laborers, however, are
very slight, as compered with the re
strictions the United States will place
upon the Chinese to be employed ior
canal work. '
FOR PURE ELECTIONS.
Georgia Senite rasses Meascre With
Ouiy One Negative Vote=-Ready
tor Givernor’s Signature. .
Toe pare election bill which amends
the preseat statute preventing illegul
voting by additional stringent pro
visions in regard to hiring workers
in campaigns and the buying ot
votes was passed by the Georgia
senate Wednesday morning by a vote
of 27 to 1
The bili will hecome a law as soon
as it is assigned by the governor.
Sundry other bills were passed,
among them the adoption of the
Jamestown exposition appropriation
measure ,and replacing the Hall 'bill
for state tax assessors on the table
for reconsideration.
Senator Wheatley made a speech
in advocacy of the substitute meas
nre, which he fathers for the Boykin
anti-bucket shop bill. Relative to his
bill as againt that of Mr. Boykia
of the homnse, Senator Kheatley said:
“I am infavor of abolishing bucket
shops, bu: we can never elinminate
gambiing in this state. Gambling will
continpe,” he said. “The DBoykin bill
doesn’t put that out of business, but
my substitute does away wit hbucket
shops. Hedging through exchanges
will g 0 on. If gambling is done, 1
wish it done here, and not in New
York. The Boykin bill states that
orders may be sent by wire and mail
ed to places out of the state. If done
here we can lock after speculation
by the officials of the Southern Cot
torn Association. They are our trust
ed officials. The secretary of that
concern has been found guilty, and
it may be the ruin of the Southern
Cotton Asscciation. My bill allows le
gitimate exchanges.! .
LIVELY SCRAP IN LEGISLATURE.
Representative and Solicitor Mix Up on
tHoor of House.
The proceedings of the Georgia
house of representatives were ealiv
ened for a few minules Wednesday
merning by & mix-up on the floor
between Hon. T. R. Whitley, member
of the house frcin Douglas county,
and Hon. Charles D. Hill, solicitor
general of the Atlanta circuit. Both
zentlemen have reminders of the en
counter, Dr. Whitley being the pos
sessor a small bump on his head,
caised by a blew from Mr. Hills
walking stiek, and Mr. Hill carryingz
upon his forehead a long reddizh
bruise resulting from contact with
one of the chairs as he wavered un
derl a blow from the Douglas county
memker. No blood was spilled, and
the combatants were soon separated.
It appears that Mr. Hill was walk
ing along the space in the rear of
the Kall, when he met Dr. Whitley,
and that Whitley greeted him with
some ordinary salutation, to which
Hill promptiy responded that he did
not care to speak with him. Whitley
replied “all right.” Those near say
that Mr. Hill added something like:
“You would have voted for that bill
if there had been any money in it
for vou.” To this Dr. Whitley replied:
“You are a lar,)’ and. Mr, Hill. at
once siruck Dr. Whitley over the
head with a stick, raising a small
Hump. Dr. Whitley responded with a
blow on the neck, which staggereld
Mr, Hill, but he at once returned
to the attack with additional blows
from his walking cane.
Immediately after the difficully,
Representative Fiynt of Spalding in
troduced a resolution asking for the
appointment of a committee to inves.
tiza*e the matter and report as to
whether either gentleman had been
guilty of contempt of the rules of
the house.
The cause leading up to the’fight
may be stated to be the discussion,
which has recently been had in the
house over the proposition to pay
the Mattingly bonds. The firm of B.
H. and C. D. Hill, along with other
attorneys, represented the petitioners
holding the bonds. Dr. Whitley was
one of the members, who opposed the
payment of the bonds, and in a speech
made Tuesday on the subject made
some allusion of the fact that he
was tired of the lobbyists for the bill
hanging around the legislature. 1t
was to this statement that Mr. Hill
presumably took offense, L
LEESBURG, GA., FRIDAY. AUGUST 17, 1906.
KILLING JAPS
{
LAWFUL ACT
Hence, Un'ted States Will Send Ko
Apology to Mikado.
Further Particulars of the Slaying of
Five and Capture of Twelve ceal
Raiders in Pribiloff Islands.
Further details of the Kkilling of
five Japanese raiders in the Pribiloff
Islands is contained in a dispatch to
a New York paper dated Dutch Har
bor, Alaska, July 26, via Seward,
Alaska, August 7, which says:
Five Japanese were shot and killed
and twelve taken prisoners on the
Island of St. Paul of the Pribiloff
group, by order of the agent of the
department of commerce and labor,
on July 17, as' the result of a raid
by four Jupanese schooners on the
seal rookeries.
Trader's were discovered lying neag
northeast point, St, Paul, by native
lcokouts of the North American coms
mercial company, which leases the
seal privilege from the government.
Word was telephened from the patroi
staticn nesr the reokery, fer which
the raiders were aiming, and Special
Lempke, of the department of com
merce, on duty in the Pribiloif Islands,
arrived on the spot as the Japanese
reached shere. He ordered the boat
crew to surrender, which they did.
On ciimbing the promontory at the
end of the cape overlooking one ot
the large . rookeries a schooner was
geen close in shore.
Locking straight down over the
cliff, ths patrols saw a dozen or
more Japs skinning a number of
seals, which had been slanghtered.
The raiders refused to surrender
when IL.empke reached the scene, and
tried to make off with their booty 1n
small boats, several of which were
drawn up on shore. The agent then
ordercd his guard of natives to open
fire. The Japanese offered no resist
ance, being without firearms. ‘
Three of the raiders fell dead on
tie beach, a fourth was seen to be
thrown overboard from one of the
beats that escaped, and a fifth bhody
drifted ashore later in another bpat.
The Japs had killed over 200 seals,
many of them cows. Those who es
caped carried away about 10§ skins.
A Washington special says: Acting
Secretary of State Bacon has sent
to Ambassador Wright at Tokio, Ja
pan, the substance of the above dis
paleh received by the department of
commerce and labor from Solicitor
Sims at Sitka, Alaska. In sending the
dispatch the acting secretary states
that it is forwarded for the purpose
of giving information sucn as this
governnient has of a regrettable incl
dent_, news of which may reach Japan
in distorted form. There is no inten
tion of offering an apclogy or any
further regret than is contained .in
this dispatch, as the stale depart
ment regards the Japanese fishermen
as poachers if they were within the
three-mile limit, and the dispatech
from Mr. Sims emphasizes this fact.
It i{s state:l that American fishermen
in Xew Foundland walers, if within
the three-mile limit, would he subject
ed to arrest by the authorities and
would have no redress, ga they
would be poachers the saorme as the
Japanese who were Kkilled.
Seals are recognized as vroperty
hy international law, and the Jap
anese killed stand as burglars shot
in the aet of stealing according tn
prominent authorities on international
law. No international incident can
result from the shoofing, it is said
at the state department,
The government of the TUnited
States will take no further active
intefest in the matter of the killinz
of the Japan poachers, save that the
twelve prisoners msut be tried hy
United Stateg authorities and accord
ing to th 2 United States laws,
MOB MEMBER CONVICIED.
i
Leader of Lynchers at Salisbury Found
Guilty and Sentenced to Fifteen
Years in Pen.
George Hall, a cotton mill opera
tive, was convicted Friday of con.
spiracy in connection with the lynch
ing of the three nLezroes wt Salis
burg, N. C, and given a term of
fifteen years in the state peniten
tiary. : ’
The hearing of the case began when
court opened at 10:30 o'clock Friday
morning. At 6:15 p. m., after hearing
several witnesses esrablishing Ifall’s
participation in the lynching, tie
case” was given to the jury. After
being out twenty minutes, a verdiet
of guilty was agreed upon, and the
maximum penalty for the offence
charged was imposed by Judge B. F.
Long. Court adjourned for the day
at @lO poonL
This is said to be the first convic
tion of the kind ever secured in the
state of North Carelina, althcugh a
number of efforts have been mage
to bring members of mobs to justice.
The state sprung a surprise in the
{rial when the offense against the
prizoner was changed from murder
to econspiracy. i
When the court was calied to order,
"on. T. J. Kluttz announced that
his elient would contend that the
court was unlawful. Tt wass argued
that the governor could not sign a
commission for such a court unle§s
he was in the state, and it was claim
el that he was at Atlantic City, N.
J. Mr. Kluttz asked that a subpoena
be issued for Governor Glenn, and
have him brought to court to testify.
This was done and the chief exec
utive of the state was sworn and
; questioned about his whereabouts on
the 17th of July, the day that the
~eall for the court .was made. He said
that he was in Atlantic City, N. J., and
jn order to do what he could to pre
vent a lynching, he wired his private
secretary to issue the commission and
gien his name to it. This he consider
ed the proper thing to do.
~ The objection of the defendant was
‘overruied and the trial proceeded.
. NOOSE FOR GOVFRAQR [OLK
is Threat Made in Connection With Trial of
Alleged i ynche' s
A dispatch from Springfield, Mo.,
says: After hearing from a city of.
ficor of the threats against members
of the grand jury which indicted Hill
Gooch and Doss Galbraith, charged
with lynching three negroes on April
14, Assistant Attorney General Ken
nish left Friday for Jefferson City
to confer with Governor Folk on the
situation. The threat, as told to Mr.
Kennish follows:
“If one of those men who are on
trial for ‘negro killing’ is convicted,
there will be a rope hung to the
light tower in the square for every
one of the members of the grand jury
that indicted them, and there’ll be
another one for Governor ¥olk.”
A SHOWIR OF RFAL BULLETS
Unceremoniously Eroke Up a Sham Battle
at Fncampment,
Real bullets were used at the encamp.
ment at Chickamauga Friday by the
First Georgia regiment in its “bat
tle” with the seventeenth infantry reg
ulars.
Colonel Gordon’s reziment was the
main body of the “Blue” army. The
seventeenth regulars formed the mais
body of the “Brown” army. The two
forces met, when contesting in the
crucial point of the day’s prozram. A
hot fusilade ensusd. During the heat
of the fight, bullets bezan to sing
above the heads and in the rarfks
of the regulars. A rush was made
by the latter for cover. They spranz
behind trees, they lat flat upon the
ground, they did everything but t-un
their backs and run. One privawe,
whose name is unknown to the au
thorities, was wounded,
Two companies of Colonel Gordon's
regiment were ordered off the field
and the maneuvers abruptly ended.
Mystery seems to surround the sit.
vation. An investigation may place
the responsihilily. :
Goyernment to Employ Chinks on
Isthmus of Panama.
President Decides Upon This Course as
a Last Resort--Present Force of
Workmen Inadequate.
A Washington special says: Chi
nese labor will be given a thorough*
test on the Panama canal. Contracts
calling for 2,600 Chinamen for canal
work have been p:s=ared, and adver
tisements will be issued by the Isth
mian Canal Commission in a few
days for proposals from labor agents.
if the initial 2,500 Chinamen prove
a success, it.is likely that many
more will be taken to the isthmus
to do the work which is tco hard for
the Jamaicans, now eAmployed there
in large numbers.
Organized labor has coffered mueh
opposition to the use cf contract Chi
nese labor, but the Jamaican work
men have proven Inadequate, suff
clent Spaniards caunnot be had im
mediately to rush the work, and the
Chinese are the last hope of the com-,
mission. :
President Rcosevell, Secretary Taft,
Chairman Shonts of the Isthmian Ca
nal Commission and other men, prom
inently identified with the canal work,
are known to have delayed employing
Chinese until it became certain that"
the other help available was not
equal to the demand., :
The administration has taken the
position that the canal must be dug
at any cost, and although the presi
dent urged that there be no haste
in employing Chinese he did not stana
permanently in the way of the plan
to try the coolies. *
It is the intention of the commis
gsion to ask for bids from labor agents
who will arrange with the Chinése
government for the exportaticn of
labor, transport the Chinese to the
isthmns under contract to work for
a fixed wage and ship them back to
China, thus relieving the commis
sion of all detail work and all re
sponsibility.
A bond wil be required of all cone
tractors for a satisfactory fulfillment
of any contract they may enter into
with the commission,
There are said to be about thirty
labor agencies which supply Chinese
to contractors in all parts of the
world. These agents are familiar with
all the Chinese laws, “stand ready to
pay money to the families of the men
who are going into their service and
are ready on short notice to meet
demands for an unlimited number of
coolies,
Leroy Park, a labor agent in the.
employ of the commission, is still
in Spain neegotiating with the szm-/
ish government for the emplnymeyfi
of a large number of peninsular Sp9a
fards on the isthmus. His efforts
promise to be successful, and’ the
commission expects to recruit manv
high-grade workingmen from Spain.
It is the desire of Chief Engipeer Ste
vens to have several kinds/of labor
ers on the isthmus.
The employment of the Chinese will
not displace the Jamaicans who are
already tkere, but it /is not likely
that many more Wiest Indians will
be hircd if the Chinese prove a suc
cess. :
The negroes are paid only 80 cents
a day against 8160 to the Spaniards,
who are gaid to be eapable of doinz
three times as much work.
M the contracters obtaining heln
for the comrission do not pay more
on the isi*---15 than the Chinese are
paid in other parts of the world, it
18 believed the daily wage of the
coolies will be less than that of the
Jamalcans on the tsthmus. i
NO. 6.