The morning call., 1891-05-26
KNowNoTHINGIsM, OLD AND NEW.

The agitation for new restrictions on for
eign immigration which has just received
the Endorsement of the Union League Club
of New York, rests upon somewhat differ
ent grounds from the movement in the same
direction which constituted the basis on
which the Native American and knOwnoth-
ing parties were founded nearly half CEN
fury ago. The real raisOn d'etre of both
movements was the same-mainly hostility
to foreign competition in the labor market;
but the agitation OF 1644-1660 was in large
part sectaTlan, and was directed at the eX-
clusion of all foreigners from Office, While
the present agitation seeks TO exclude large
classes of foreigners, not on the ground OF
their religious faith, nor on their alleged
appetite for political office, but on the
broader ground that they are undes irable
members of the nation. incapable Of asslmi-
latiOn. and so debased in the scale OF
humanity that their presence tends TO lower
the standard of-the whole people
The ShibbOleth OF the old American party
was Americans must rule America, and
they demanded a residence of twenty-one
years as a condition of naturalization, mainly
in order to prevent foreigners from getting
Office in the seaboard cities of the Atlantic.
As the bulk Of the foreigners who were
pouring into those cities were of the Roman
Catholic faith, the American ritual appealed
to Protestant feeling against them. It's
constitution, which was promulgated IN 1856,
stated that one Of the objects of the organ
ization was ito resist the insdious policy
Of the church Of Rome" 1t was not, how
ever, the capture of office by foreign immi-
r. in hA Vali
of the people who constituted the bulk Of
the immigrants, which enabled the Amer
leans" to found a party strong enough to
carry cities and States, and 10 run cand-
dates for the Presidency. The party owed
its success mainly to the large proportions
which foreign immigration had assumed,
and to the influx of more workers than the
labor market could well digest.
Only once before 1914 had the number of
immigrants reached 100000. In 1914 it was
1903. But the Irish famine, the discovery
Of gold in California, and other causes, so
stimulated the immigration from Europe to
the United States in the ensuing decade
that IN 1854 no less than 427. SS3 European
immigrants landed at the Atlantic seapOrts.
The country could not furnish work for
so many new hands, wages fell largely, and
the consequence was that natives, who
claimed that the bread was being taken out
Of their mouths by foreigners, joined party
which insisted that immigration should be
discouraged.
It befeI however, that simultaneO usly
with this anti foreign movement, an agta-
ton which took a much closer grasp on the
popular heart broke out on the question Of
slavery. Immigration likewise fell off; from
427, $50 in 1854 the new corners declined 10
195, o57 in 1856 and 70 119,5Q1 in 1858. The
main cause of the agitation being thus re-
moved, and peoples minds being directed in
to a different channel, Americanism died
out; only one-ninth of the voters cast their
suffrages for Bell and Everett in 1860.
The Native American movement OF 1914
90 differed from the corresponding move
ment of the present day in so many particu-
lars that the history Of the former furnishes
no clew to the probable course of the latter.
There appears to be no strong opposition
anywhere TO a mod fcation of the Immigra-
ton laws. Many Of the most strenuous ad-
vocates Of the change are to be found among
naturaiiZed citizens. 1t was different forty
years ago. The Americans were fought
fercely by the Democrats, the Irish and the
Germans. There are, however, leaders Of
public opinion to-day who argue that our
present intense feeling against the Italians
and the Slays who are pouring into the
country is an ephemeral prejudice; that
human nature is not fixed quantity, but is
changeable by circumstances that under
the benign influence of American institu-
lions the SlaY and the Italian will improve
into a fitness for citizenship, aud that, at
any rate their children, brought up at the
public schools, will be suitable members of
the nation. The main difficulty. however,
Is that large numbers Of paupers and GRIM
inals are coming with desirable emigrants,
from the south of Europe particularly.