Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-15
GREAT AND URGENT QUESTION.

AGRBAT AND URGENT QUESTION.
The Democratic administration will be
confronted, on its accession to power,
with very grave problem which it will
be called upon to solve at as early date
as possible. Amongst other serious evils
which the policy of the Republican party
has helped to entail upon the country is
the tremendous immigration from south
ern and eastern Europe. This immigra-
ton has grown to such immense proper
tions under the stimulus of that policy
that the country has become seriously
alarmed. 1t has increased yearly until
it now reaches the enormous dimensions
of over half million every twelve
months. Nor does this seem to be the
limit, for the agencies of the steamship
companies, and of the great protected
monopolies that are interested in cheap
labor, are putting forth herculean exer-
tions to swell the number by illegitimate
as we'll as legitimate means.
1t has been ascertained that great
deal of this immigration is directly as
sisted by the authorities of the localities
from which it comes. They prefer to
pay the cost OF deportation of people who
are or may become public charge
rather than run the risk of their main
tenance at home. 1t is evident that the
poorly-paid denizens of Europe are only
too willing to come to America, no mat
ter in what condition they may arrive
here. They have heard the story OF the
better land, and are ready to suffer any
hardships to reach it.
But it becomes serious question with
the United States whether we can suffer
this tremendous irruption to continue
to increase in volume and intensity. A
country that has 65,000,000 of popula-
ton is pretty we'll stocked, even if it is
comparatively new and extensive one.
At the ratio of increase of the past two
decades, we shall have 200, ,000, 900 inhab-
itants very early in the next century,
and we cannot digest this vast mass of
new accession without seriously disturb
ing the labor conditions OF the country,
and perhaps bringing upon us the most
dangerous political and economic COM
plications.
Some check is needed at the present
time. Even if all this tremendous iln-
migration came of its own accord and
was not dumped upon us by illegitimate
assistance, the question would naturally
arise as to whether the great bulk OF it
is such immigration as we want or as is
acceptable to us. Our first duty is to
the people who are already permanently
settled amongst us. II this stupendous
immigration is injurious to them, the n
we ought to check it.
Perhaps there may be other ways
found of doing so, but the one which
commends itself ct first sight to the
best public sentiment is that which has
been suggested to require deposit from
each immigrant by which the govern
ment will be qua. anteed for reasona-
BILE length of time against his becoming
a public charge. Such requirement
would result in an immediate check
upon the deportation OF paupers and con-
fine the immigration to that from a
class of people who would be far more
desirable than the great mass OF those
that are now being dumped upon us.
In the exclusion OF Chinese the coun-
try has committed itself to the policy OF
protecting home labor from the compe.
tition of cheap foreign labor. There
are, of course, other elements entering
into the discussion as applied to the ex-
clusion OF the Mongolian. But it was in
the interest of our own laborers that the
fret i'm petus was given that resulted in
the measure which discriminates
against Chinese. 1t is. natural to ask
why we should stop at the Chinese. ii
the overpopulated countries of southern
and eastern Europe are permitted to
produce the same results that we have
legislated to avoid il the case of the
Mongolians?
Thequestion of checking this irruption
has already been widely discussed by the
people, and it has now become one of
national and political importance. The
enormous increase of this immigration
in the past few years brings it properly
before the country for legislative action.
The highest order of craftsmanship
should be enlisted in its solution, and as
the Democratic party has always been
foremost in the adoption of wise meas
ures for the protection of American
labor, we shall look to it to take the in
itiative in putting check upon the
danger that threatens us from the grow
ing human stampede to this country
from the most impoverished, ignorant
and barbarous countries of Europe.
WE ARE plibly told by the San Fran