Wisconsin Afro-American., 1892-11-05
Some Reasons Why Immigrants Come

1
| ON Its Former Record.
| Som Reasons Why Immigrants Come
| Here.
Many Democrats in the Eastern and Mid
die states agree with the Republican doc
trine of protection; yet being attached to
their party by association and party pride,
| they easily find excuses tor voting with
their party against their belief. Knowing
this, the Democratic leaders invent every
appeal to prejudice which they think cal
| culated TO delude them.
In every factory the Democrat prOtec-
| Zionist has addressed to hun an appeal
| something like this: ITO be sure a nom
protective tariff may bring you III compe-
ution with the under-paid labor Of Europe,
but you have that competition now. The
Republican party is responsible for immi-
grauon it brings the foreign mechanic to
this country and sets him at work by your
side. You may as well compete with him
in Europe as to compete with him here.
What difference does 1t make whether you
compete with the foreign labOrer in Bel
GUM or at your own elDOw" :"
This speciOuS but false reasoning is
holding thousands and thousands of pro-
lection Democrats to the support of the
free trade party. Letus examine 1t. First,
IL is not true that the Republican party IS
responsible for immigration, except III the
sense that it has made the United States
the most prosperous country in the world,
and the best country to live IN, the one
country where man has the best OppOr-
tunity and reaches the highest develop
ment.
Would the Democratic party, for the
purpose of stopping immigration, make our
country too poor and miserable to attract
those OF the Old World who love liberty
and have a longing for better condition
Would they destroy It's prosperity and re-
duce its advantages so that the hundreds
of thousands who have sought to find here
a better life would desire TO return to the
Old World? Under the free trade policy
immigration would quickly cease and emf
grafton begin. In no other sense has the
Republican party stimulated immigration.
On the other hand, the Republican party
has eIGa2FyaEed. ta, repreSS and prevent the
J coming of undesirable immigrants to our
shores.
The present law against bringing con
: tract aborerS TO the United States was in
trOduced by Republican, favored by Re
publicans and signed by Republican
President. The law which prohibits idiOts
! insane persons, pOlygamlStS, cOnYlctS and
assisted immigrants from landing was Ger
tainly as much the work of Republicans as
Democrats. and was signed by Repub-
, llcan President. No Democratic legislator
has suggested a measure for repreSsing
? |
! gent than those suggested by Republican
legislators. Republican policy has thus
kept away from lis hundreds OF thousands
OF undesirable immigrants Our laws CAL
hardly be improved in this respect, unless
it be by the passage of law requiring a
consular inspection at foreign ports, and g
consular certificate TO persons leaving
other countries showing that they do not
belong to the lnterdicted classes
The Democratic Irish or German me-
chanic who has found here the OpportunI-
ty to better his condition can scarcely &C
further than this lie Will hardly demand
that not another one OF his countrymeI
shall come here to enjoy the privileges
which he enjoys. 1t is not true, then, thai
the Republican policy is responsible fol
the undesirable immigration. But thf
complete answer to such fallacy IS this:
Under protection comparatively few OF
the workingmen of Europe come here tC
sir.rrr~-wItI American wOrkingmeh thC
high wages which protection has secured
TO them. They demand and obtain equal
wages. They are sought for and accepted
by trades unions and conform to all thu
requirements imposed by organized labor
They support the government OF the states
and of the United States, and become il
all respects American cllZenS and con
SumerS.
Under free trade policy they would
stay at home, but the American mechanic
!. would lind hlmSef cOmpelleu 10 compete
not ONLY with the few but with the whole
body of foreign wOrkingmen, for theil
J products would come here to drive out the
American, while the foreign labOrel
would remain at home.
Which is better to live IN a country
| where there is work for all, with better
, compensation for work than anywhere else
in the world, or in a country where by rea
son of competition with foreign labor there
is only sufficient work for a portion of the
people, and where the standard of com
: penSation for work must inevitably bt
I forced down to the standard maintaineC
in the countries with which the competi
, ton must be had The farmer who burned
his barn to clear the rats out OF 1t has al
: ways been regarded as conspicuous eX
} ample of a fool. but is the free trade
Democratic statesman, who would stoI
immigration by making his country toe
} poor TO live in, any more wise?
The Democratic Party Forsaking 1T
Earlier Principles.