Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-11
OUR IMMIGRANTS.
DIR. THOMPSON DISCUSSES THEM
LAST EVENING.
Those Who Will Prove Desirable Citizens
for the United States Common Sense
Regulations.

In the church of the Unity last
evening DR.. Thompson repeated, by re-
quest OF his congregation, a lecture on
immigration, which he delivered some
time ago in the church parlors. The ad-
dress last evening was much more fin
ished than at the time OF its former de-
livery and, though occupying 20 minutes
in its delivery, it was listened to atten-
lively by an audience that filled the
church to it's utmost capacity. An alb
stract of the lecture is as follows:
The subject have to bring before you
tonight is immigration.
The opinions / may volunteer are just
my opinions, from observations | have
made.' | do not claim infallibility or
peculiar insight. l simply offer them
as they are.
This land of ours is a large one, hav-
ing about 81, ,000,0 900 of people in it, if we
can believe in the census, and l may
say that that is one of the
things which it is safe to disbelieve in,
as it is impossible for it to be accurate,
and it can only be an approximation.
Our country is poor in population,
comparatively. 1t has grown in popu-
lation very, very slowly. 1t is about
250 years old, and the rate of increase
for that time is very small. The British
empire is increasing at the rate of
100000 a month, and in comparison
with that our rate of increase is slow
one.
This is hard country to live in. Eng
land increases her population by con-
quest and by sending out colonies. 1t
is the only country that can send out so
many and vet continually increase it's
own population. Ireland has done much
fer this country, and in Boston today
there are as many Irish as there are
native Americans. 1t is rather strange
that the strong life of New England
should not have increased more rapidly
instead of apparently standing still.
That it has done so proves that it is a
hard country for nation to keep up its
life in.
The census men say that in the pros
porous years people marry oftener than
they do other years. Ii that is the case
am afraid there is poor outlook for
this city, as | am performing very few
marriage ceremonies lately.
The papers tell us that such a ship
has arrived with so many hundreds of
immigrants aboard. Now / went to
Europe on a steamer which carried 500
people away. | came back few weeks
later on the same steamer, and the ves-
sci brought 6l5. Now the papers took
account of the 6l5 that entered, and not
of the 800 that went back. 1t is sup
posed that the foreign powers are
making sort of dumping ground of
this country. Now this is not so.
England is very sorry when her sons or
daughters emigrate to any other point
than their own colonies. Germany can
not afford to lose its population, but
does all she can to make it impossible
for her people to come to America. 1t
is falsehood to say that these countries
vino need men to do thier fighting en-
courage emigration.
Commissioners of immigration are
utterly useless. Ii men want to come to
this country they will come. If they
are poor (and they are the best men
who Gomez they will come. If they are
insane they will manage it somehow.
and the commissioner is powerless, as
we have found him to be in the case of
the Chinese.
AS factor in politics let us consider
the immigrants. Why do they come?
II they had money they would not come.
They come for the sake of the dollar
that comes from an honest days work.
They don't know or care about our con-
stitution or institutions. Thew want
Now, there is a fact to consider. Take
the old-time penal colonies established
by England long ago, and you will find
good population now. The convicts and
the down-trodden found a chance for
themselves there, and there they learned
TO become useful, hard working and self
respecting citizens.
Who, then, do we want here? We
want the people from nearly all the
European nations. They will make a
useful and hard-working population, and
their children will make excellent cit
izens,
Who are not wanted? Why, the Ital-
ians, the French of the south, the Span
ish, and such as these will never make
desirable citizens. The Chinaman is
good for a makeshift at the most, and
this country is not good enough for the
bones of his dead.
This country has reputation as the
most corrupt politically ON the face of
the globe. Among the things to blame
for this is the institution of universal
suffrage. There is no country in the
world that is fit to have universal suf-
rage.
When Rome finally secured vote for
every man in her dominions, her power
sank. The power was placed in the
hands of those unfit to exercise it.
What are we to do, then? We can't
take the vote from men who now have
it, but it might be well to make provis-
ions for the future voters.
nonsense qualifications for the voter?
this country's history.
Q. He should be acquainted with the
constitution and-in a general way
with the laws of the country.