Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-10
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION.

the people of Western or North
western states where a great
number Of our foreign-born popu-
lation 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 addi-
tons to the enterprising population
Of the great West, and upon the
whole there is no objection to the
German and Scandinavian new
corners 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 immigration
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 desirable
and useful class of immigrants.
The Scandinavian and German
immigration have been and still is
an important factor in the develop
mcnt Of the resources of the great
and growing Northwest, and the
restrictive measures lately adopted
will not, and are not intended to,
diminish the influx of this indus
trious and loyal class Of immi-
grants who will continue to come
and to be assimilated by the
American commonwealth as a
component part.
But in the later years an entirely
different class of immigrants have
commenced to arrive at our shores
and ask for admission on equal
terms with the hardy and thrifty
Northeners. The dusky Italian
with his hand-organ and his Malta
affiliations, 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 a
living and in whose language the
word home has no equivalent,
have all come and knocked at our
doors and demanded a chance to
enjoy life at our expense. The
bulk of this class of immigrants
are extremely illiterate and
ignorant and nearly as objection
able 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 Government 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 common day-laDorers and
naturally flood the country and
cities in search of employment as
such, and the direct and immedi-
ate consequence is a depression OF
the labor-marEet and a downward
tendency of wages, until a point is
reached where wages are entirely
inadequate to the wants of the
native laborers or those from the
German and Scandinavian count
ries, who are used to decent and
comfortable living.
The influx Of Russian Jews also
threatens to assume dangerous
proportions on account of the
recent wholesale explosions and
constant persecution of the Jews
in the Russian Empire. These
people are natural peddlers from
the cradle to the grave, and this
country is certainly not interested
in acquiring any great influx Of
them. To some extent they come
under the head Of assisted immi-
grants and are entirely destitute