The morning call., 1890-06-05
ARMoUn on IMMIGRATION.

Phil D. Armour Of Chicago has con-
tributed mis- mite to the immigration contro-
versy in the following words:
Healthy industrious and law abiding immi-
grants coming among US 10 build and maintain
homes are desirable acquisitions, whether they
have money or not In view OF the fact how
ever, that the strongest and most enlightened ma
tious of the earth are supporting and improving
educational systems, believe there should be
an educational test, and that every immigrant
above school years should be able to read and
write In his own language.
Writers on this subject vary in their con-
clusions according to their various stand
points. Mr.. Armour, who is a citizen of
mark, in whose eyes the peopling of the
country with healthy, industrious. law
abiding and intelligent immigrants is para
mount TO everything else would exclude no
immigrant unless he were idle, fractions,
unhealthy or ignorant, that is to say, un-
less he were manifestly unsuitable material
to become a useful citizen The labor
unions, for whom Mr.. Powderly speaks,
think that the time has come to exclude all
foreign immigrants because they would
crowd the labor market, and it follows logi-
cally from his premises that he would ex-
clude the very class which Mr.. Armour
would admit, namely, the class which would
become the most formidable competitors of
the present generation of laboring men.
Mr.. Powderly is looking to the present time
and considers the subject from the wages
standpoint. Mr.. Armour is looking to the
future and would have the laws so adjusted
that the empty places in the country should
not only be filed, but be flied with the right
kind of people 10 become members of a
great common wealth; he looks at the sub
ject from the standpoint of our future ma
tional development
There is something to be said in favor Of
each proposition. II is manifestly wrong
TO permit European powers to flood this
country with their refuse pODulatiOn-the
: ignorant, the criminal and the turbulent.
If there is any way in which this influx of
inferior material can be checked without
violating the broad principles of equity ii
should be done. There will be no two
= opinions about that Nor can il be denied
that the Cutting of our labor markets to
such an extent that the normal standard of
wages falls TO the mere cost of living is
calculated to lower the moral tone of the
working class and to make workmen less
useful and less contented than they are
under the existing standard. Poverty al
= ways has been the mother of crime and dis
order. Any migration which tends TO pau
perlZe the bulk of the community is an evil
which craftsmanship should try to cure.
1t is evident too, that Mr.. Armour is un-
consciously paving the way for the more
radical policy of Mr.. Powderly. If we
begin by shutting the door in the face of
men who cannot read or who have cough
or who have been restive under arbitrary
d: government at home it will not take long to
educate the public up to shutting the door
in everybo1y's face, on the ground that the
country is full and wants nc more raw ma
terial in human shape. The policy, so far
as we remember. would be without prece-
dent, unless the policy of China before 1914
may be regarded as a precedent But it
does not necessarily follow that policy is
wrong because it has never been tried
There never was in past history an example
of a general migration of the people of one
continent into another continent
In past times migrations Of peoples from
regions where life was hard to regions
where it was easy were common enough.
The movement went on until equilibrium
was restored, sno :hea the cause eeasing