New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-12
DANGERS IN IMMIGRATION.
LETTER FROM AN AMERICAN CONSUL

a. III. M.
POINTS OUT THE EVILS THAI WILL RESULT
FROM uSREGULATED IMMIGRATION AND NATU-
p.tz.TIoS-A PROTEST AGAINST THE CoSsIGN-
NtvNr oP cARGOEs OF PAUPBRs AND CRIMINALS
TO AMERICA BY EUROPEAN NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
P1cATIoN OF EXISTING LAWS AND TREATIES
PROPOSED.
To the EdftOr of The Tribune.
sIR:Any one sufficiently interested may step down
to Castle Garden almost any fine summer day anu
see incoming ships dischargng from their steerago
decks from 1,OO0 to 1000 and even 5000 people.
Indeed sufficient number of strangers frequently
land in a single day to form Iespectable-slzed
town. 1t is noticeable of course that they are not
Americans and that IN many cases they DO not
speak word Of our language Many OF them 40
not even seem to know where they are going ana
only the steamer lists enliRhten on as to where
they came from. These lists, however, decline to
enter further into the matter than to state that 80
many thousands OF men, so many thousands OF
women, and so many thousands Of children are
about to he landed from the great ships. they
have como from Holland, it may he, or from Hun
gary or Siegia from the Aims of Switzerland or the
boys Of Ireland. These strangers, with their pun
dies and small boxes, and forty or hitY doiiaiS
apiece, or perhaps not neatly SO much, are ininl-
grants The observing person will DO little
amazed 70 that nobody apparently cares to know
more about these shipOads Of mortality than is
to be learned from the lists already referred to. lie
secs them sent into the already OycrcrOwded wards
Of the city, OF cIammcd into steam cars and whrled
ont Of sight; and other ships steam IN. and other
thousands are discharged and sent out Of sight IN
the same way. And So they have been coming
these many years, till now ten millions OF them are
scattered about over the Lroad States and Terri
tories of the Union. The country is 50 large, and
the distribution so complete that no immediate
effect of their coming is noticeable. Most OF thea
lind bread Ia eat and live well il is said.
What strikes the observer at Castle Garden most
strongly. however. especially should his mind have
been busted for moment with Plymouth Rock
and Bunker Hill and Gettysburg and the national
heritage that streams OF patriotic blood have Sc
cured to him and his, will be the reflection that
these millions are, from this day on new claimants
to what be has supposed was hs alone. True his
deed was written in the blood of his torcfatbers
nd his brothers and these newcomers have no
deed at all but unless history and statistics are
lies. these hordes will shortly stake ont their
claims AMI he will be invited to move on and out
very good authority has said that our country
will number ut least eighty millions OF people
within the next twenty years. At present one
fifth OF population is composed OF foreigners.
1t the proportion continues We viii have some SIX
teen million foreigners among US III tw,nty years
from now What will thirty, for.y, fifty years DO
foI us. at that rate2 Unfortunately, the proper
ton is liable to be doubled or even tgebled No
imm grafton statistics as to the past can be guide
to the future. A bad harvest IN Europe. n war !
some oppressive law in Germany elsewhere, may |
send rs "a million enigr;.lts in a single year. Half
the people of Hungary would cross the ocean to-
morrow had they only money enough to pay steer
age passage Who knows when few million Rus |
slams. or Poles or SIays, will be seized with like
inclination
want however, to present some reflections of |
those who nave seen these millions Of emlgrantS |
before they embarked at HAMBURG, Queenstown. !
or Ilayrc; or before their minds were made up 10 |
go over and take possession o the far lands con
qucred and held IN trust for them by the American
people.
During many years the writer has been obsery-
inc the tmigTant question: NOT from Castle Garden,
but from the point where the bundles were tied mp.
the boxes packed. and the tickets bought for the |
New World II goes without saving thar the imni- |
grafton Of limited number OF Europeans has been |
of vast benefit to country socially, politically,
ana materially. Even good things may be over |
done. however, and It Is "A most dtbatahle question
whether tll' present ihlIn l"u ~ Iot Il CrIo' III
stead of "a blessing 30 the tned States. The ma
teTial advantages that gam are liable to be over
balanced hy thc social and political disadvantages
that follow with them There Is no intention here |
OF presenting all these armies OF Immigrants VINO |
arr, coming 10 Us Us unworthy or unEccOmc. but |
chati and il is political. social. and even religious
duty slft ont the chat even at the FISK q losing
gresham Kelley last year ilat II was the FIRST !
duty OF q Government 10 look after tie welfare of
it, own people; LORD N"r4niaI' looking at tne |
dangers pure democracy ana "a dSnsrr population !
would bring to America. declared that we are en-
rendering race within our country that would lay
IL waste within hundred years aS completely rs
dId the Hans lay waste the Roman Empire lie |
was good political prophet, but III what way have
Americans Needed the prophecyi Certain corners |
of the world have too many people, ana a reds |
trilmtiOn is going on. In thlS distribution. the !
hols share Of the surplus ignorance ana poverty is
setting itself down in the United States. At the
same at which thi. settlement IS proceeding is
the control of this country slipping out of the hands
OF the American people. In odcn times the pow |
crty of the Old World cities relieved by some
plague carrying of its thousands in day. Now |
the plague is stayed. and the surplus poor emgrato
10 America.
PAUPEg AND CRIMINAL IMMIGRATION.
II is | believe the firm conviction of nearly all
our consns and diplomatic representatives abroad
that an alarming proportion OF those people W no
EN- crate TO the United States a positive injury
as citizens to any country. | will try to show
that, though there good people who indulge the
supreme nonsense that every immigrant landing is
worth seven or eight hundred dollars to u.s. there
are many communities IN Europe willing TO give a
handsome sum to be well rid of thousands and |
thousands whom we so heartily welcome. do not
refer to the occasional society community that |
may subscribe money to aId good citizens to cross
the ocean but to those more numerous communities
and local governments chat pay money To get rid |
Of people whom they know TO be bad citizens and |
of good use any where. OF the emigrants so sent
to MS, n major part have been utter failures at
Observation-Disclosures and mlucky men. so-called |
who would never prosper anywhere No small pant |
are Adventures, seeking fortunes, political and |
otherwise, in "A country where they have good |
reason to believe the most worthless may to |
position. Most alarming of all are the thousands !
pauperS paid for coming, and the jail-biIds flying
from justice. Hardly ship lands that does not !
bring dozen OF them. OF course the Socialists |
Communists, AonnOns. NhstS and the generally !
dsorderly OF Whatever name or class flock to our
shore as TO cOngenIal harbOr. Here they hope to
execute plans IN freedom for which they would |
have been imprisoned at home. A recent writer |
has pointed out the fact that have IN the |
United States already more than two millions be-
longing to these dIs0rderly classes.
That hundreds and thousands of. paupers. GRIP |