Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-31
THE NEW IMMIGRATION.

Immigration statistics exhibit a marked
| change. 1t is significant that the total OF
immigration last year was 49,, ,026, against
426. 712 in 1889, but the immigrants from
those countries from which, In former times,
We drew most largely, now show marked
| falling of. the immigration from Ireland
is reduced z, 500; from Scotland, 1,600; from
England and Wales. 10000; Germany, Den
mark and France each show slight in
crease. But the greatest increase is from
Italy, from which country the immigration
has grown from 29, 600 in 1889 to g., 492 in
1890; and from Bohemia, Hungary, Austria,
Poland and Russia with an increase of
! 5000 to 5000 in each nationality.
Thus there has appeared large addition
to our population of races, utterly foreign to
our institutions, ignorant of our language
and much more so of our laws; peculiarly
liable to the depredations of the unscrupu-
lous, and consequently productive of a
greater proportion of pauperism. The race
question is considered in the South grave
one because of the presence of the colored
people there; but to an impartial mind, the
ability of the colored people to gain COM
prehension of the duties of citizenship will
compare favorably with the same ability
among the Poles, Italians and Slavs, whom
we are now receiving by the tens of
thousands.
We need not discredit the power of our
institutions to assimilate and utilize foreign
elements in order to recognize the necessity
of special promotive steps. 1t is evident
that our immigration laws are not at pres
ent aiming in the right direction. They
deal with the circumstances of immigration,
when the real criterion should be its charac-
ter. Whether immigrants come here by
contract or are assisted may be of import
ance, but not so much :, as whether they are
intelligent, industrious, law-abiding and
frugal. 1t is typical of our national char
acter that New England, New York and
Pennsylvania were founded by assisted i'm
migrants; and up to the last generation some
of the most desirable elements of our popu-
lation were of the class that landed In this
country with no better capital than hardi-
ness, Industry and intelligence. 1t may be
a difficult matter to establish system that
will test such qualities in our immigration;
but, at the worst, inspection could not be a
greater farce than the present loosely drawn
law with regard to contract and assisted
immigration.
Another thought is of importance. The
great mass of the Polish, Hungarian and
Italian immigrants. either by force of cir
cumstances or by design, 60 to work on
streets, railroads, and into common labor
about mines and manufactures. There they
are peculiarly liable to the depredations of
the INSCRIPTIONS and form a floating and
almost proletarian element OF our popula-
ton. Yet the vast majority of these immi-
grants were in their native country an agta-
cultural class. If their efforts could be
directed to agriculture here, it would be
more intelligently applied and yield better
results both to the laborers and to the COM
mulity. Beyond that, if our Italian and
Polish sojourners 10 whom the proprietor
shipo few acres in their own country
meant wealth, could be made to see that our
system permits them to become land owners
and farmers, it might inspire them with
more affection for our laws.
When large share of our Eastern acreage
is going without thorough tillage for lack
of labor, there is good deal of pertinence
in the suggestion that measures to divert the
new class Of immigration in that direction
would be we'll worth the trial.