The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1889-11-22
FACTS ABOUT IMMIGRATION.


are few facts which are presented
which have been noticed and
which are good to preserve: |
It has been 400 years since the |
discovery of America; 27O years
since the Pilgrims landed ON Plym-
outh rock; 113 years since the
Colonies declared their independ |
ence, and 1O6 years since their in
dependence was acknowledged.
From 1776 to 1920 only 250,000
immigrants came to America.
This was not many, yet. early in
our history the fathers grappled the
naturalization problem. At first |
two years. residence was required. |
Four years after the law was
changed to five years as neces-
sary residence before granting the |
elective franchise. But the law
changed again three years later,
the time required for naturaliza-
ton being being fixed at fourteen
years. This was in force four
years. when, in 1902, it was
changed back to five years, which
is the time now required. In 1915
and '46 at the time of the potatoe
famine in Ireland until now 500, 900
immigrants land each year on the
Atlantic coast. There are now
100000 men and women here
who were born in foreign lands.
This number is three times the
whole population of the thirteen
colonies at the time of the revolu-
ton. Counting the children Of
these foreign born residents, there
are 100000, or almost 25 per
cent. OF the entire population Of
the country. In 1920 there was
five per cent. of the population in
the cities; in 1910, eight and one
half per cent, in 1850, sixteen and
one-half per cent; in 1880, twenty
two and one-half per cent. and in
1889, fully % per cent. In the
city of Philadelphia 25 per cent of
the population are foreigners, and
in Boston 80 per cent; in New
York and Chicago, 40 per cent;
and in San Francisco, Is per cent. |
In these cities the political power
is wholly in the hands of foreign
ers. In the early times it took so
much money to reach America
that few of the poorer classes
reached this country, but now the |
steerage passage amounts to moth
ing; besides, assistance to paupers
is given to come. Lord Salisbury
said in the house Of parliament,
1.-The solution of the Irish problem
is assisted emigration.'' Canada
resisted the influx of these paupers,
and turned them over to the
United States. Then immigrants
came from the north of Ireland
and Lombardy and Piedmont in
Italy. andsthere were many grand
men; but now there is a different
type-they are peanut venders,
organ grinders, stiletto flourishers
and murderers. A great proper
ton are malcontents, anarchists,
socialists, men and women without
characters, who hiss and howl at
civilization, and are always trying
to carry out some cherished
thoughts held against their own
countries, where oppression was
great. In Chicago there are thirty
eight breweries in foreign hands,
and these men are against every
thing Christian or moral. The
foreigners are very largely whisky
sellers, and compose the disturb
ing element ct the country. This
ijustifies the statement that there
is crises on the American people
greater than the revolution or the
rebellion. There are 5,25O,OOO in
the United States who can't read
or write, and 100000 voters who
can't read their ballots. In Can.
ton, China, there are $500 inhabi-
tants to the square mile, while
some of our cities, 1900, 900 to the
same area. London has 1900.
There are tenement houses in New
| York where q 500 peoplo ,ro