San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-04-03
SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 1886.
RESTRICTED EMIGRATION,

!
Put an embargo on foreign pauper
emigration. This demand is being
urged as never before, and never was
the necessity so great since this govern
ment came into existence. The poor we
have are all we can care for, more than
we ought to care for. The least OF that
care is the burden of their maintenance;
the greatest, the adjustment of those
social and industrial disturbances which
always exist where any considerable
number of the people are idle and pow
erty stricken. As the first duty of every
government, particularly representa-
tive government, such as ours, is to care
for its own citizens, the question Is
pressing and pertinent in the present
disturbed condition Of the public mind,
ought not emigration of all kinds to be
largely restricted until the industrial
balances are more accurately adjusted
in this country.
There is no Disgusting the fact that
there are more people in this country
to-day than can find profitable employ
ment, more than can find employment
at any price. Why then should we hest
tate to cut oil the foreign supply which
continually increases this stream of
population, and adds to the unemployed
hosts a Reinforcement Of hundreds of
thousands annually. 1t is a false con-
ception of public duty, combined with
false idea of our responsibilities to the
detressed people of other lands, that
keeps the American press silent on this
matter, and gives our congressional rep
resentatiVes the lock-jaw.
We never will be prepared as nation
to be the political and Industrial saviOrs
of the down-trOdsen and oppressed of
the Old World until we have brought in
better condition of things than now
exists in this New World. The influx of
vast bodies ofimmigrants into land al
ready grooming under the burden of the
enforced idleness Of millions of her own
people but adds to the difficulties of the
situation at home, and affords no perma-
nent relief abroad. This country is con-
tinually embarrassed and heavily handi-
capped by this overweight of immigra-
tiOn saddled upon her. Our industrial
problems are so complicated by this con-
slant addition of numbers that the work
of adjustment is delayed; this delay
causes irritation, this irritation breeds
friction, and this friction strife, out of
which come those conditions which peril
the peaceful RELATIONSHIP labor and CAPT.
tai.
1t would be manifestly wise to restrict
emigration for the present; to put our
legislative intelligence wisely to work
upon this whole problem of production,
producer, consumer, market, wages and
all else that is connected with this great
question ofenfranChising American labor
from the pauper condition to which it is
being reduced. One of the first steps
would be to restrict emigration. This
done, we could adjust our relations at
home and regulate our own industrial
forces so as to reduce friction to mini
mum. Harmonized among ourselves, we
would be infinitely better placed to I'M
dertake our work as the industrial ssviors
of the Old World. We have taught them
lessons in representative government of
incslculable worth let us be as wise in
dealing with social and labor problems,
and they will be infinitely more our debt
ors than they now are.