New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-25
TIE IMMIGRATION QUESTION.
A PROBLEM THAT MUST BE DEALT WITH


PROBLEM THAT MUST BE DEALT WITH
WISELY
80 the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir. For the benefit OF several Republicans " this
land OF the free and III" home of the cyclone. de-
sire TO relate little tale. one Of lIarriiy's Old
lime workers Is Colonel lame, 4. sweeney Of Harris
burg. and Hazcton Penn. in particular and Of the
earth In general Years ago. when youth WORKING
I'm The mines, Colonel "Jum' joined circus. one
night after the performance In Ttusvile the trained
biliygoat got rampage, and started out to " 90
the menagerle tent, and Colonel jun" was cent to
capture the brute. jun" Is big man, and when
the goat had led him around the tent half Il dozen
times, he was blowing like a perpoisc. The goat
noticed IL and started toward the elephant which was
scratching his back against tent pole. JUN
gathered himself together and jumped at the goat.
The goat gathered himself together and Jumped nj
"Jum,' and "Jum" upset the tcnpolo which landed
the elephants back and scared the Big animal 80 The
he trumpetec with terror and rolled over upon " Jum
The COlOn-s left leg fractured In three places,
and when he regaincd consciousness he feebly muir
INJURED
an be dom'd Il that bangOt can't BUTT
Now jun" got hurt but he didn't know What
struck him. The goat hadn't counted on The ele-
plants assistance: neither had "Jum" And yet,
there had stood the elephant in the background,
larger than either Of the active partlsans When the
time came. the elephant rolled over He rolled upon
SUM" sweeney, because the latter happened 10 be
TO him. II the goat had been closer, he would
have been crushed. Thus It is, friends and brethren,
with the present political situation We sent the
Mckinley bill to capture the people. which was all
right: but we forgot that the immigration problem
loOmed up In the background big a whole herd
Of elephants
Let us look this mst;er squarely In the face.
have spent good many years studying various
phases of the labor problem. and what know about
strikes. boycotts and riots has been gained through
personal presence aud investigation. Furthermore
any honest leader Of aborng will tell you that
whatever legislative measures have been passed for
their benefit stand the work of Republicans alone.
On than one occasion Iohn D. Hayes, secretary
Of the National Order Of the knights OF Labor has
said to me:
I'VE are a non political body. But We know as
we'll as any one that only Republican Legislatures
have passed measures TO help the working mcn.'
And yet the wageworlIcrs who belong TO trades
unions did more TO defeat Harrison than most Of
have any idea Of For several years trades unions
have recognized The fact That the party for them is
the party which vii, greatly re,tric, immigration.
Let me give you an IN stance have recently concluded
sixteen months work In the Pennsylvania coal mines
for "The Forum" magazine. ! am told that years
ago American miners made $50 per month, To-
day In the anthracite region are ScOrc of thousands
from italy, Russia. Hungary. Poland. sicily and the
Tyroi. who work. say four days per week. and gladly
receive from 60 cents 10 ~ per day. What is the
result Most o! the old miners. Americans Irish,
Welsh and Germans have been driven TO the cities
and TO tho Far West. Those who remain are mighty
glad TO get so to $40 per month let clone the extra
800 they used TO get in times gone by. Think this
over
Said NewYork mason, recently:
Il have saved $4,000 in the pat thirty wears.
Most OF this ! made by working overtime. Yet only
short time ago the Republican Federal c. nment
allowed five thousand foreigners to land from one
ship and their average wealth 80. Think OF Il
How many OF these will have T. be supported in
charitable Institutions! How much OF my hard
Islands Why should l be compelled TO pay
cent? Why. simply because the Republican party
las not had the nerve to protect me. That's why"
man IN his union worked for Mr.. Cleveland hoping
That the Democracy would really do something heroic
for the protection OF American wokingmen frum for
eisners who are practca y paupeis. And armies
of wage earnerS all the United states did like
wise. That is the elephant that rolled over on us
when we were concentrating our attention On the
Mckinley billy goat which was cavorng 81 furloasly
Inc reason Is perfectly plain to me why the Re.
put1can congresses have not hcrOicaly and prop
crly handled the immigration problem. The nation
ns represented a Washington. never has had sufficient
new corners from southern Eur pc. Why, ONLY last
Isnnaa,y ne Commissioner OF Labor wrote me that
CONDITION OF affairs In the anthracite fields Of The
keystone state. where the imnigra ton problem T.
working It's own evolution. yea, and its revolution as
nowhere else In the country. 1t is folly 10 suppO.e
that Republican Congresses would not have success.
fully damned the injurious stream had they hut
possessed knowledge OF the true state OF affairs |
believe the newly elected Democratic House Will d.
So They must. They dare not wade the que ION
And OF course much s!o-y VIII red0lnd ~ tbam
Ent In order that they shall MT all honor
and praise ! suggest most omrhatcaly TINT In com
ing conventions Of kcrnllrana from the smallest
officials they Insist tlat the INN grafton urobem r.,
ceive propcr attention.
,,a In c.neIuon we cannot afford 70 ignore that
NewYoFE. Nov. II. 1902.