St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-07-15
AMERICAN HOME RULE.
Mayor Hewitt on America for
Americans"

Mayor Hewitt on america for
Americans"
Recent Speech in New York.
1t doesn't follow, however, that be-
cause we have opened the doors SO
widely in the past we are going to keep
them open forever. My experience in
this Office has brought me to the con-
clusion that the time has come when
greater restrictions will have to be i'm
posed upon foreign immigration. Those
who came originally came from mo-
tiveS of conscience because they thought
they could provide better future for
themselves and their families in the new
world. They were mostly people of
some education, of industrious habits
and with training which fitted them for
American citizenship. But we have
been bringing in here from 100000 to
100000 year during the last three years,
in the earlier emigration of this
country. They come here practically
under contract of service, bound
to certain contractors, who bring them
out and undertake to sell their labor in
the United States in competition with
the free labor of the cOuctry. This is a
new and very great danger. 1t threat
ems not merely the livelihood of Ameri-
can citizens, but it threatens the per-
petuitv of free institutions. AS the
labor of these people is sold in block, so
their votes can be sold. They are sold.
They are delivered at the polls, and
where public sentiment is so finely di-
vlded as it is between the two great
parties of this great country, small
contingent can determine which shall
n,,f Nf Ii,
That is the danger which we must face
and eliminate from the American sys-
tenn. If you should ask me what remedy
| could propose for this state of affairs,
should say that two things certainly
ought to be done. We should only admit
to American citizenship those who on a
satisfactory examination can show that
they are entitled to such. / certainly
would admit no human being to Amer
lean citizenship who could not read and
write. think it would not be great
hardship if we were to ask foreigners
for fourteen years. or twenty-one
years residence. | myself should be in
favor OF twenty-one years.
know everything am saying is be-
ing taken down by these reporters, and
they will ruin my political reputation
but we have got to take care of our
cNi1Oos uhu NIoC 10 hHOWu DIS Ullt udS
incident, or might say flag incidents,
are very suggestive of the condition to
which we have arrived in this country
The foreigners who are here brought
with them, naturally, their love of their
flags: =! am glad they SO treasure it,
and it is quite right for them to re-
vive the memories of their youth
in their own homes. But it is
claimed that these foreign flags are
to float over public buildings, and
are to be objects of reverence to those
who have left their own country for
this to be our American citizens.
think the patriotic instinct is best indi-
Gated by reverence for the flag, and
would not allow that reverence to be di-
luted one particle by any competition
with any other flag whatever. Here on
this continent, where we advocate home
rule for other nations within their own
countries, let US equally assert the doc
trine of home rule within our own.