The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-04-11
Time to Shut the Gates.

The New Orleans tragedy and the armed
attack upon the Norwood Coke Works in
Pennsylvania, by foreigners, have aroused
the American people to the necessity Of more
strict immigration laws. The Philadelphia
Ledger says sit is time to shut the gates
against indiscriminate immigration, as both
these occurrences, resulting in bloodshed,
are directly due to vicious foreigners in our
midst. That paper says:
II brings us face to face with the ugly fact that
scores of thousands of men are coming every year
into our country who are not only aliens by nation
ality, but who are aliens BY thought habit custom,
nature-alien in every physical and mental hbre-
alien through and through-so foreign that they
cannot be brought TO understand and obey our laws
and who will permit nothing to stand between their
semi-savage desires and the violent accomplishment
Of them 1t IS this additional revelation of the
rapid growth of that vicious and fierce population
that makes the Norwood riot more formidable
than the loss life Surely everybody must see in
the frequent repetitions of such violent outbreaks
when the time has arrived when our industrial
properties have to be protected from destruction by
calling out the National Guard of the State-that
the time has come for shutting the gates against
such lawless invaders.
Strikes and labor troubles were virtually
unknown in this country before the Eruption
of the labor agitators from foreign countries
socialists, anarchists and infdels, who
never darken a church door, but profane the
Sabbath in secret meetings plotting treason
against law, order and society," Our native
mechanics, while maintaining always for fair
wages and reasonable hours of labor, and
standing together against the oppression of
capital, rarely ever use force to enforce their
demands, but the foreigner, who was accus
toned to low wages in his native country,
scarcely gets acclimated before he begins
clamoring for higher wages, and tries to en-
force his demands by unlawful procedure,
often INDUCING in riot, boodshed and de-
struction of property.
As the Ledger truthfully remarks, it is time
to shut the gates on these lawless invaders,
who construe American liberty to mean un-
bridled license. If the recent occurrences
arouse public sentiment to a full appreca.
ton of the dangers that threaten from the
unrestricted admission of these creatures to
our shores, and result in the passage of more
stringent laws on the subject of immigration,
they will have served good purpose.
The policy of the Federal Government has
been strangely inconsistent for the past
quarter of a century. While taxing out the
products of the ''pauper labor of Europe,
for the alleged benefit of our labor, the gates
have been thrown wide open to the pauper
labor itself to come here to compete with
ours.
There are quite enough foreigners i'll the
United States of the vicious class, and of
every other, unless they desire to learn our
ways, our language, adapt themselves to our
civilization, and intend to become in truth
American citizens In the earlier days of the
republic, there was more concern for the
safety and morals of our people than there is
today. While in the Library of the City
Hall, Baltimore, recently, we saw framed Il
letter from President Madison 10 the Mayor
of Baltimore, inclosing another letter con.
corning the shipping of undesirable people to
Baltimore from Amsterdam. The President
says he conceives it his duty to inform the
Mayor, and the Governor of Maryland, as the
laws of Maryland may have provided against
such importations. Below are copies of the
/ letters
DEPART. OF STATE, May 10Th 1896.
SIR:-The letter of which a copy is enclosed con-
! tanning information that number Of cOnvcts and
other persons of debased character about TO be
carried TO Baltimore from Amsterdam in the Prus-
| sian vessels called the Navigation" and the
speculation has been received from person of
| credit at Antwerp. As the laws of the State of
/ Maryland may have provided against such impor
tation have thought il necessary to communicate
! IL TO you and to the Governor of Maryland.
have the honor to be, with great respect, Sir
your very humble servant.
JAMES MADISON.
T. Smith, Esq.
Mayor of the City Of Baltimore.
ANTWERP, Feby., 1906
SIR II have the honor to give you the informa-
ton have just received through an indirect chan
mel of two Prussian vessels, viz: Navigation"
Capt J. NandernvOrt and the speculation" Capt.
Derrick bound from Amsterdam for Baltimore with
passengers said to be mostly of all the vagabonds,
convicts and the Outcasts OF that city for premium
of fifty guildeTs ahead.
Conceiying it my duty to acquaint the Govern
ment with any occurrence within my knowledge
which might affect either the safety or morals of my
countrymen, hasten TO give you the present infor
nation that you may cause to be taken such meas
ures US you shall think proper.
/ have the honor to be, &c,