The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-04
A NATIONAL PROBLEM
Suggestions for the Regulation
of immigration.
a SEATTLE MECHANICS IDEAS,
Steamship Agents Causing the Trouble
-Non-Poiiticsl Conference Urged
to Deal With the Matter.
SrArrrE Lime 3 1901

SEATTLE, June 5, 1881.
10 THE EDITOR: Many of my CO.
iaoorers and union associates have ques-
uoned me as to my opinion of the contin-
uous outpouring of the scum of Europe
into this country l presume that be-
cause OF the fact that / was born and
reared IN Galicia, province in Austrian
roland, whence the most Objectionable
immigration is derived, and further, per-
maps. owing to the fact that my friends
know that allow no man to question my
patriotism to this. my adopted country,
they wish to know my opinion on this
question. / wish to reply to my fellow
workIngmen through the medium of the
public press.
:. IN my opinion the most important pub
tic question and the one nearest to the
neart OF all the people is the question
Oh unrestricted immigration. am aware
That In making the above statement | am
antagonizing nearly all the isms, and con-
sequently the leaders of these isms will de-
splse me for belittling their various pet
salvation schemes, but since | am blessed
with sufficient greatness to be a leader
and am feeding myself and family by act
ual toll, can afford to express myself in
opposition to the advocates of the single
tax, fiat money, government pawnshops,
socialism, anarchism and every other ism.
An intelligent discussion of the subject
resolves itself naturally into considera-
ton Of three questions 1. Is the present
Influx of the worst elements of the popu-
iation of Europe to this country an evil?
2, what is its nature? and 3, how can it be
remedied?
As to the frat question, is it an evil? 1
answer yes! Because the same reasons
that this country has for the protection of
its industries, it has to protect its working
classes. Since nearly everyone acknowl-
edges that immigration should be re-
stricted and both political great parties
have passed some restriction laws and had
congressional committees inquire into the
matter, proves beyond all doubt that my
answer to the first question is correct.
The second question needs analysis be-
fore we can arrive at any conclusions. /
am not at all alarmed at the quantity of
our immigration, but l am exceedingly
alarmed at the quality. hold that this
country is large enough to support ten
times its present population, but its re-
sources need development, and for this to
be done we need men and women not only
OF strong muscles, but also of well-bal-
anced and independent minds. In this
country We have no monarch to do our
thinking, to spend our earnings, to build
for us penitentiaries and insane asylums,
to arrange war for us to kill US off when
ever there happens to be too many of US.
No! We must do our own thinking; in a
word, the people must do everything, and
consequently the people must be free and
not slaves, like the present immigrants
are.
But are European immigrants slaves?
Let US see. My readers will
understand that I am treating a gen.
eral matter which admits of singular ex-
ceptions. Not one in twenty of the emf
grants get to this country through their
own exertions, that is, pay their own fares.
Let US take the three Polands, Italy, Bel
GUM, Hungary, Bohemia and part of
Sweden, and we have pretty we'll covered
the field from which the objectionable i'm
migration is derived. The steerage fare
from these countries to New York is at
least SIS of American money. The wages
earned by common laborer and low
grade mechanic in these countries does
not exceed 40 cents per day. VIII some of
my readers kindly figure out how much
3 man can save from 40 cents
when he has to board, lodge and clothe
himself, and then how long will it take
to save up SIS or $50. Unfortunately for
us the men that save that amount of
money do not come here because of two
reasons: First, he is considered rich;
second, allurements to marriage are so
plentiful that man with good coat on
his back and S25 in his pockets can hardly
escape it, and once married his chances of
paying his and his family's fares to Ameri-
ca are very slim indeed.
A general impression prevails, especially
among the workingmen, that these immi-
grants are wholly brought out by Amer
lean corporations, and while | am very
sorry to come in collision again with
many of the speech-making labor leaders,
inasmuch as I am about to- rob them of
the very text of their speeches, cannot
help it-truth must prevail. The immi-
grants are not generally imported by cor
porations. 1t may be true in isolated
cases, but from an actual knowledge of
European emigration I assert unhesitat-
ingly that the emigrant does not get here
by corporation aid. But how does he get
here? He cannot save enough to pay his
own fare. Corporations do not bring him
over, the steamship companies do not
give him passage for nothing. Then how
does he get here? One emigrant simply
paws the fare of the other. Permit me to
explain: In all of the large Eastern cities,
as also is the case in San Francisco, Dem
yer and Omaha, we have class of people.
no matter what their nationality is, it is
immaterial to this argument, that are too
lazy to work, too ignorant to do legitimate
business, but they are always on the alert
to fleece the unsophisticated. The
continued Improvements in trans
Atlantic navigation have created a
very fierce competition amongst the steam
ship lines. For this reason these usurers
buy from the transatlantic steamship COM
panies, Storage tickets, including railroad
tickets to points inland, for from $40 TO
SIS each, at wholesale rates. Then they
besiege the emigrant in the workshop, in
the railroad Yards, in fact, everywhere
they can find him, and there the rascality
commences. First let us analyze the con-
dition of mind the immigrant is in He
has arrived recently and obtained
employment at what seems 10 him
a magnificent rate of wages, because
the least he gets in this country is Sl.25
per day; and that is three times as much
as he was getting at home. Financially he
is enchanted with this country; but at
heart he is depressed. He goes to see his
relatives in this country and receives the
cold shoulder His apparel, habits and
manner are entirely Objectionable TO the
refined tastes of his Americanized rela-
.;-as :, @act the American born child of