The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-02-08
Population from Abroad.

The population of the United States
was increased about one per cent. last
year by immigration from abroad. Sta
tistics are not at hand for other ports
than New York, but the total number
of arrivals was probably something over
half q million. About 400 immi-
grants arrived at this port, or nearly
nine-tenths of the whole number. The
general character of the arrivals is said
to be better than the average of previ-
Gus years. On the whole there is no
doubt that the addition to our popula-
ton is of real value Considerably
more than one-third of the immigrants
landing at Castle Garden were Germans,
q very large proportion of whom were
industrious and frugal agricultural la
borers, seeking homes in the West.
This class, as q whole, constitutes an or
derly and law-abiding element which is
readily and rapidly assimilated. The
Irish come next in order of numbers, but
were only about one-third as numerous
as the Germans. They furnish a valua-
BILE working force, though they are rath-
les. The English come next to the Irish
in numbers, and, Notwithstanding their
attachment to Inherited ideas, they al
most invariably become good citizens of
our free Republic. Those who come
over for the purpose of establishing
themselves in colonies are, indeed, of
rather superior class, and the fact that
they are of the same blood with the
founders of the first colonies on these
shores gives promise of q ready assim-
ilation with the descendants of their own
ancestors. Sweden has contributed
more than $4,000 TO the arrivals, and
Norway has added about "A, 900. They
are for the most part an industrious and
peaceable people, and much the same
may be said of the Scotch and Welsh.
The most undesirable of our immigrants
in recent years have come from the
South of Europe, and of these the Ital-
ians are most numerous, nearly 14,000
of whom arrived at Castle Garden dur
ing the year past. They are very apt
to herd together in the large cities and
recruit the lowest ranks of the laboring
population. This is due in some meas
ure to the fact that the emigration of
criminals and paupers and worthless
people generally from Italy has been
rather encouraged of late. The hordes
of Asia poured in upon our Eastern
shores to the number of something less
than 400, all told, but San Francisco
and the Pacific coast are yet to be heard
from.
Not only has the addition to our pop
ulation from abroad been valuable in
itself, but with it has come a moderate
accession of accumulated capital. The
amount of this can not be ascertained,
as the immigrants are under no obliga-
ton to tell how much money they have,
and most of them make their exchanges
on the other side before embarking. 1t
is estimated that they paid $4,000, 900
last year for railroad transportation after
leaving Castle Garden, and the Superin-
tendent believes that the total amount
of cash brought with them was not less
than S11, 200, 900. This is probably a
very low estimate. The destination of
the immigrant is no less interesting than
their origin. They still flock in large
Numbers to the Northwest, where many
settle on farms and aid in developing
the untouched resources of the land,
thereby aiding in the most effective
manner to increase the production of
wealth as well as the population of our
country. Others seek mining and man.
ufacturing districts on account of the
character of their previous industrial ex-
perience. Those who sink to the bottom
of the social strata in the cities and be-
come source of trouble probably form
| no larger proportion of the whole than
that of natives of foreign parentage who
find the same level. The capacity of
the Southern States for absorbing for
eign immigrants has not yet been fairly
tested, though many are seeking the
vast unsettled areas of Texas, and the
current is gradually percolating into
other parts Of that section of the coun-
try.
The idea that the s'foreigu element
is source of danger or difficulty to the
country is well-nigh exploded now,
though there is no doubt that it adds to
the perplexity of securing good govern
ment under universal suffrage in the
large cities. This is not due SO much tc
the fact that so many voters are of for.
| eigu birth as to the fact that so many o.
the foreigners who seek the cities and
remain there are of low order of intel
ligence and education.
There is certainly nothing alarming
even to the most tinid in the great flow
of population from abroad which ha
been going on during the last two years
| Though unprecedented in absolute vol
ume it bears constantly decreasing
| proportion to the entire population. Ac
/ cording to the census of 1880 we haC
then 1873, ,943 foreigners in a popula
ton of so, los, ,783, or less than one
twelfth of the whole. The increase o
! population for the preceding decade wa.
about thirty per cent, or an average o
three per cent. a year, and even in 1SSl
the accession from abroad was ONLY
about one per cent. Considering thil
fact and the rapid transformation which
is constantly going on, as well as tn,
general good quality of nine-tenths o
the immigration, there is certainly yer,
large percentage of grain for US as a Ma
ton in the increment to our population
that comes from over the seas.-N. 7
| Times.