The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-09-26
OFFICIAL PAPER OF MCLEAN co.

OFFICIAL PAPER OF MCLEAN co.
Foreign Immigration.
The question of regulating Foreign I'm
migration to this country is OF special in
terest to the people of the western or north
western states where a great number OF
our foreign-born population have found
new homes. Foreigners coming here to
take up and cultivate new lands and to
locate permanently and become useful and
~law-abiding citizens of the United States
have always been and still are welcome
additions to the enterprislng population
of the great west, and upon the whole there
is no objection to the German and Scandi-
navian con who come to till the soil
and create new and permanent homes for
themselves and family. If all immigrants
were of that class no regulation of immi-
grafton to the United States would be asked
for or thought of for a century to come,
neither are any present laws or rules for
regulating immigration aimed at this de-
sirable and useful class of immigrants.
The Scandinavian and German immigra-
ton have been and still is an important
factor in the development of the resources
of the great and growing northwest, and
the restrictive measures lately adopted will
.1k orl g, n~k :0korlaI IN 1SppSnSoh the
influx of this industrious and loyal class of
immigrants who will continue to come and
to be assimllated by the American COM
monwealth as q component part.
But:in the latter years an entirely diff
ferent class of immigrants have com
menced to arrive at our shores and ask for
admission on equal terms with the hardy
and thrifty northerners. The dusky Italian
with his hand-organ and his Mafa-afilia-
tions, the lazy and unwashed city refuse
from Southern Europe, the fugitive. from
justice, the criminal pardoned on condition
that he shall leave his native country, the
assisted pauper who can not or will not
work for q living and in whose language
the word "home' has no equivalent, have
all come aud knocked at our doors and
demanded a chance to enjoy life at our
pen The bulk of this class of immi-
grants are extremely illiterate and lgnor-
ant and nearly IS Objectionable as the
Chinese, because they do not come here to
become American citizens and to take their
share of the duties and responsibilities OF
citizenship, but simply to make some
money, one way or other, and then return
to their native land. 1t is no wonder the
American people and the American govern
ment become alarmed and have adopted
more stringent measures for regulating the
landing of immigrants. At best these
Italian, Arabian or Hungarian immigrants
are nothing but oommon~ day-laborers and
naturally food the country and cities in
search of employment as such, and the
direct and immediate consequence is a
depression of the labor-market and q
downward tendency of wages, until a point
is reached where wages are entirely made
quate to the wants of the native laborers
OF those from the German and Scandina-
Wan countries, who are used to decent and
comfortable living.
Experience teaches that in several
European countries the authorities, while
against the emigration of industrious and
%able-bodied workingmen, are not opposed
to have their criminals and paupers ship
ped over here to live at public expense.
While the European authorities may not
actually be engaged in shipping this class
of emigrants to America, they do not pre-
vent them from going and give their tacit
approval to local societies established for
the purpose of wedding out Objectionable
individuals and sending them over here to
get rid of them.
Another danger, which however, is of less
magnitude. is the frequent arrival in this
country of people who are too old to earn q
livelihood for themselves and whose pas
sage is paid by relatives in Europe with
the evident intention that other relatives
in America shall take care of them, and in
frequent cases the American relatives may
be entirely unable OF unwilling to do so.
An impartial observer will under the cir
cumstances find the o strigent measures
adopted for the regulation of landing
foreign immigrants at our seaports as laid
down in Secretary Fosters circular of June
Bird we'll timed and necessary. While the
more thorough examination will affect the
German and Scandinavian immigrants
destined for northwestern points less than
other class of new arrivals, We have
every reason to believe that they will also
be examined more closely than ever before,
and consequently people on this side, who
may buy passage tickets for relatives they
wish to come over, should always be con-
,adent that such passengers do not come
under the prohibition classes, and in cases
whore the passenger is over 60 years. the
agent who sells the ticket ought TO demand
from the purchaser q bond, secured by we'll
known and responsible parties, to the eject
that the purchaser of the ticket can and