, 1891-04-04

4 BAD STATE or AFFAIRS.
An event such as that which occurred
in Mount Pleasant. Pa, is in every way
deplorable. The Italians, Poles and SlaEs
imported to work in the coke regions OF
Pennsylvania are Of the lowest grade OF
intelligence. They have no aspirations
beyond the qualification Of the commonest
physical needs They never can become
American citizens in any lust sense Of the
term. They herd together like SO many
cattle and are disturbing, dangerous and
despicable elements 10 whatever commun
iVy they may settle. There is nothing in
common between them and many other
classes of foreign horn citizens who rap
idly assimilate American manners, ideas
and methods aud sometimes become even
better citizens than the native born.
They cling teuaciously 10 their own
language and customs, form communities
apart in which they yegetate rather than
live, and even in the second generation,
children born on American soil, are as
oblivions OF the genius OF our institutions
and the benefits OF a popular government
as are the most stohd and God forsakeu
Of those born under foreign despotsms
and who have never even heard OF the
name OF America
The country has prided itself on its as
similative powers. People drawn from
all quarters Of the globe, with radically
differing customs. speaking a medley OF
languages. have been transfused by
social and governmental processes with al
most magical CELEBRITY into sturdy and valu-
able American citizens. But there are
limits beyond which our assimilative
powers cannot be strained. This limit
has been reached in the hordes Of Cloths
and Naudals fshed out from the dreRs Of
continental Europe by the Incompetence
of American mine and mill owners and
imported into Pennsylvania and Other
states 70 take the place OF hardy, strue-
Cling American citizens doth native aud
foreign born) who with honest toll were
uplifting themselves and their progeny TO
the plane OF thrifty. frugal and intelligent
American citizenship. The presence OF
such men as these bestial foreigners is a
dreadful commentary on the DEGRADED
depths into which patriotism has fallen
even in high quarters, for hordes Of them
would never have disgraced the country
but for the inducements held out to them
by millionaire mine and mill owners
who saw in these degraded wretchcs
visions of starvation wages on the one
hand combiued with practical serldom and
on the other their own rapidly augment
ing possessions.
But it has not all been plain SAILING for
the avericious proprietors, The dumb,
sullen aud unreasoning laborers could not
always BE- driven aud force was often nee
essary. From this arose a system Of pri-
yate police, commissioned by the state of
Pennsylvania, but paid by the corpora
tinnz- Th~A-rs~sA-af maintainiaa -"~L
an establishment sometimes counterbal-
anced the differences between the wages
Of decent American laborers and those
imported on contract, so that the situa
ton had at least that much compensation
Tor the unfortunate men who were dis
placed.
The labor systems In vogue in the coal
and coke regions Of Pennsylvania are a
disgrace to American civilization. The
strong arm Of the state cannot always re-
press the turbulent i%erOcity OF the I'M
ported labor elements, and we BEE The
power which should be sacredly guarded
by the state passing into the hands of
corporations, aud under the guise of law
outrages committed by these corporation
minions which should bring the blush Of
shame to the cheek Of American citizens.
1t is not to be supposed that the right is
entirely on the side OF the corporations in
this dreadful Mount Pleasant affair. The
worm has turned ut last. Prolonged petty
tyranny a aroused a blind Jury, from
which dreadful consequences may at any
time flow.
The time is ripe for restriction and dis
elimination in our immigration. We do
not need foreigners of the Pennsylvania
description to develop our country. 1t
will develop rapidly enough and infinitely
better without them. But 1t is a disagree
ably unpleasant fact that their presence
here is due to the cupidity Of some ofown
citizens.