The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-08-23
Tia piscouragemsnt of Emigration by the German
Government
New York World

Tia Disbursement Of Emigration BY tho German
Government.
New York world.l
1t seems that the obstacles put in the
way of the emigration of i's people by the
Imperial Government of Germany, are
partially due to a novel theory invented
by the learned DR.. Epgel, Director of the
Prussian Statistical Bureau. The Doctor
divides the life Of the manual laborer into
three periods: First, fifteen years of I'M
productive youth second, fifty years of
work third, the remaining years, of un-
productive senility. He then proceeds to
lay down the proposition that during the
productive period the man has three duties
to perform First, he must repay the ex-
pense incurred by parents. and others dur
ing the juvenile period second, he must
satisfy his daily wants, and maintain his
productive power third, he must produce
o surplus fund for sustenance during the
period of old age.
The expense of carry ing one German in
dividual through the juvenile period DR..
Engel computes at $50 thalers. That is
the amount of money the man owes to So
ciety when he reaches the age of puberty,
and which society expects him to repay by
the labor of his muscle. Now it follows
that IL he runs away to America at this
time, he defrauds Germany of $50 thalers.
Multiply the number of Germans who have
already gone to America by this sum, and
you have the enormous total of 81 $50, 000,-
600 worth of labor which Germany has
been deprived of by this pernicious emil
grafton. 1t is an appalling discovery.
We are told that DIR. Engel's idea has
thoroughly saturated the German official
mind, and that even the sagacious Bismarck
is 80 impressed by it that he has resolved
to increase year by year the restrictions
on the outward movement of the German
population until the ports of the empire
vii kr1 11xy lad not In 1f
all but the weather. class.
writer in the new number of the West
minister ReUieiD presents an ingenious argu-
ment in favor of the theory that if emigra-
ton from France had not been checked in
the middle of the last century the terrible
Revolution of 1879 would never have taken
place. He holds also to the equally start
ling proposition that if it had not been for
emigration political catastrophe like that
of 1889 wonld have occurred some time
during this century in England. Before
the naval supremacy of the English be-
came confirmed there was o steady flow of
emigration from France to her colonies.
Canada, Louisiana, the West Indies, and
several of the islands of the Pacific Ocean
were receiving the growing surplus of the
home population. The continuous wars
between England and France, the ability
of the English eventually to intercept the
French vessels on the high seas, and the
TO emigration from France. The conse-
queues we're that tho inhabitants, penned
up at home, and continuing to grow in
numbers, soon found that a land already
impoverished by the rapacity Of the mobiles
was unable to give them bread. In their
agony they turned upon the classes above
them who seemed TO revel in plenty, and
the shock to society followed " whose
vibrations are yet felt throughout the
earth"
Suppose on the other hand, that natural
or artificial causes had prevented the re-
moval of the increasing surplus of the po-
pulation in the British Isles, from the time
the FIRST ship-load was sent to Virginia to
the beginning of this century. 1t is not
unreasonable to believe that, first, starva
tion, and then insurrection, would even
tually have ensued. The land could
not have held the people. Once, when the
English Government tried the policy of
restriction, it got badly raped for it. The
Kings Ministers, like the Emperor's Min
listers in our day, got the notion in their
wise heads that emigration was great
evil to the country, and 30 they laid an
embargo upon it. Tradition says that a
Huntingdon gentleman lay upon ship in
the Thames waiting for a fair wind to take
him to America. The royal orders stopped
him, and instead of going West and be-
coming in the courRe of time famous
Massachusetts, preacher or the governor of
q colony he stayed and CHOPPED OH HIS
Majesty's head. How much the cause of
the Stuarts was affected by the retention
in England OF tanatical and turbulent
class of people who wanted to get away, Is
of course matter OF speculation. But it
is undoubtedly the fact that the political
coalition of the country was largely in
huenced by emigration, aud that its ma
terial condition was benefited not only by
the draining of of the population in ex-
cess, but by the new avenues of commerce
which this Population, trausplanted to new
6elds, opened up with the mother land.
The statesmen of Europe eau study the !
emigration question by the light of history |
to advantage. If there is anything to be |
learned FROM the past in this connection it |
is that emigration is ono of the safety |
valves of nation.