San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-01-26
LET CONGRESS CONSIDER.

The Laredo Gate City endorses the
work of the Ford Congressional COM
mittee, and commends its report,
tn US:
1.-THE Ford Immigration committee
at Washington has reported quite adj
versely to the bringing of pauper i'm
migrants from Europe to work in
mines in the United States, who live
like animals, practice an unhealthy
parsimony, have and take no interest
In the United States, do not learn its
language nor its customs. do not de-
sire citizenship, come to make money
and go back and work for wages low
enough to starve respectable labor
or. That report has the right ring
in it,"
Melborne H. Ford. the chairman of
that committee, is democratic men,
Der of congress- from the fifth Michi-
gan district, and the report is credit
to the committee making it. Mr..
Ford will receive, as he has deserved,
the thanks of all true friends of
American labor, for his outspoken ut
terances on this subject. This work
of refusing harbor to pauper immi-
grants, brought here to underbid the
wages of American laborers, is but
the beginning of a crusade against
the unrestricted immigration of the
past quarter of a century. Already
are there in this countr not less than
2, 1000, 900 workmen outof employment
and every ship load of immigrants
from foreign shores only augments
the number. The question becomes
very serious one for the legislator, the
humanitarian, the labor statistician,
and the moralists. Idleness breeds
crime. The presence Of unemployed
thousands in any center of population
increases the violations of law, adds
to the burdens of government, dis
turbs the peace and endangers the
safety of society, and should be guard
I'D against by every state as an evil to
be avoided at all hazards. Through
dleness comes restitution and all the
train of evil consequences which it en-
yenders-theft, violence, debauchery,
of which are destructive |
n their nature and subversive of So |
;iety. There has been too much senti- |
nentalism wasted upon this question. |
America has been so long regarded as |
he asylum of all lands that proper |
and common sense en- |
JURY into the results of this concep-
ion seem impossible. Our legisla.
jors and philanthropists seem to
De mashed on the idea of making the
United States an asylum for the peo-
Die of other lands, and have raised no
word or hand to prevent it. AS con-
equence America has become in very
Iced the asylum of all nations.
She is their insane asylum, their po-
itical penitentiary, their lazar house
md all else, and it is time that halt
vas called. The nations duty is to
are first for her own. We have more
'eople in America today than are able
o find profitable employment. The
Whole moral, political, industrial
nd social life of our people is threat
ned by this influx of population,
Rowling those already here to the
vail and fostering crime and corrup-
ion through the idleness they en-
orce. Has the national congress no
Vord of restriction, no act of protec-
ion to interpOse against this rush of
oreign humanity? Why empty the
Unemployed thousands of Europe and
asia on these shores? Must the gen.
raj levelling go on until there shall
70 no difference in the la
or conditions of America and the
abor conditions of Asia, and the in
TX of foreigners cease because a dead
evel has been reached, or shall the
Jnited States congress intervene it's
over and interpOse its authority to
old back these millions for whom
America today has no room; no room,
t least without making it at the ex-
ense of the wages, the social health,
ne political purity, the virtue and the
Manhood of the American laborer ?
his is legitimate question for the
tatesman. If idleness breeds crime,
nd the influx of those foreign popula-
ons compels idleness, then this I'M
esired immigration breeds crime, and
is as much the duty of the national
'ngress to suppress crime by Great
lg conditions unfavorable to its in
ease as by Furnishing its commits
on.