Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-24
THE INCREASE OF REFRIGERATION.

1t is evident that the current of immi-
grafton from Europe is about to set in
again with renewed force, and that there
will this year be landed in the United
States five or six times as many foreigners
as usual The time, however, has passed
when any such accession to our popula-
ton was welcome, and when no misgiv-
ings existed as to the effect upon our Gov
eminent of this constant and copious in
fusion of foreign elements. We know now
what effects it produces, and we know
that the effects are bad. To-day our prin-
cipal cities are governed and plundered
by foreigners. In New York foreign
proletariat buries and paralyzes the entire
property owning class, and the latter are
robbed continuously, with no prospect of
escape. In San Francisco at the last gen.
eral election the foreign vote cast was sew
eral hundreds beyond that of the American
vote, and this disproportion is certain to
increase under the influence of immigra-
ton. The kind of immigration, too, which
is most common, is drawn to the large
cities, and shuns the country. The con-
sequence is that the cities are growing far
morerapidly than the country in population,
and that the increase of the urban pop
ulation is of the most deleterious kind. 1t
consists for the most part of foreigners who
are densely ignorant of almost everything
civilized beings ought to know; who have
not the faintest conception of the prin-
oiples of American government who are
often imbued with wild socialistic theories,
and therefore at once range themselves
against the Government on general prin-
ciples and who are utterly devoid of any
sentiment of patriotism, or any tenderness
Of l1inship. These elements do not even
comprehend ordered freedom. License of
the most brutal and anarchic character is
their sole idea of liberty. They are hostile
to law and order, haters of success and
prosperity, fomenters of sedition, naturally
and by training. 1t is to their presence
that we owe the various attempts made of
late years to reproduce on American soil
the crazy communistic vagaries of the old
world; attempts which are only explicable
on the hypothesis that their projectors
were profoundly ignorant of the nature of
the institutions they sought to overthrow.
The foreign elements in our midst have by
their ignorance and their tendency to We
nalty made possible the worst maladmin-
istration the republic has witnessed. There
could have been no Tweedism in New
York without them. They give its chief
support to demagogism. They have made
Kearneyism formidable. They have fur
nished the substance of every modern as
sault upon property and order which has
occurred in our large cities. The prospect
of an unusual immigration this year is not
therefore to be regarded with satisfaction.
Experience shows that the point has been
passed at which large additions of foreign
ers could be made to the population with
safety. The immigrants would be welcome
enough if they did not so soon become par
Elephants in the Government. Citizenship
has become debauched by the conditions
under which it is attainable Comprehen-
sion of American governmental theories is
coming to be the exception instead of the
rule among newly-made voters. It is not
too late to modify the naturalization laws,
but it is questionable whether any party
can be got to undertake the duty. Yet
unless it is done, and that soon, the rapid
increase of ignorant voters will render
good and honest government impossible.