The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1882-05-07
An Old Complaint .

-tne Slauultg u ihe aPociE PHe
in the Bible; foreigners dwelling
in nv country 10 crowd our native
subjects into the corner of the
earth; alchenized coins; liberation
OF divers religions, or one religion
in segregate shape" 1t is curious
says the St. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat, 10 find the Grst generation
born on the soil discussing the
same problems that tilltorture US.
The author is evidently sound on
the currency question, and likes
good money. But il he felt
crowded in 16l7, what u pinch
would there be now for him.
Young America has always been
fond Of spreading herself. But
think of the airs put on by the
1000 or 5000 natiye-born citizens,
that they could not tolerate immi-
grafton. The colonies were hardly
in communication with each other.
Plymouth Colony was not yet
fifty years old. The Indians
hemmcd them in to the very coast.
They did not know the land as far
as the great lakes, except through
French report. The whole white
population of the land would
have found abundant elbow room
on Long Island. We have TWEEN
ty cities to-day that each one out
numbers the whole nation of that
day-or rathert the commonwealth.
Yet the people were intolerant OF
foreigners. We can easily imag-
inc the line of argument. There
was little or no voting except rs
pertained to town meetings. There
could therefore have been little
trouble aboat >nifrag. Bat the
mocal character Of thes., intefiop-
ers Was very serious affair. 1t
is not 20 H. supposed that the
pure soma at Puritans wished to
be contaminated with their second
and third cousins brought up in
the darkness of England and Hol-
land. The religious difficulty was
even more serious, for many OF
the newcomers were Quakcrs,
Catholic, Anabaptists. and New
Lights. Religion and morality
being all one, it was trial that
overtasked even the pioas Cotton
Mather TO endure this froth o! the
old countries. Witches and
Quakers and Catholics had 1t hard
time Of il. Some OF them went
up in iierv chsriots like Elijah
Others fai into the wilderness
More betook themselves Ia tht
shelter Of Lord Baltimore anC
William Penn. We may sunpost
thst the wages question Ia have
also interfered with the welcome
oi foreigners. II there were few
10 do the work, there was littl,
work to do; and 20 have wages
lowered then WIS quite as serious
an evil as in these times. MANY
if not the majority, were adven
turers who came over to bette
their fortunes in some way aa'
then return TO their own c0untrie
across the seas. They did no.
bring their families, but came {,
live off the land and exist as
threat against pure morals aud tht
honor of Puritan households. Wht
knew 10 what enormous proper
tions this influx might extend
The crowded cities, the strong
holds of crime would pour thei
ride upon the. land to the uttcl
overwhelming of its institutions
In those days the ancestors o
James q. Blaine, no; having CON,
in the Mavicwer, were among tht
dreaded newcomers. The prophe
cies of The Cobbler" and tn.
pathetic diatrihes Of Mather wer,
fulfilled TO the letter. New Eng
land is now iu the possession o
foreigners. Its farms and facteric!
are rnh by those "who crowd tn,
native into the corners of tn,
earth" But this does not to-da,
seem good reason for endeayor
ing 10 stay immigration. w,
look with considerable pleasure
and good deal of hope to vas
increase of foreigners in 1890. w,
shall be glad if all the starvin,