The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-04-25
HI EVIL AND GOOD


pors Foreign Horn.
Tho following extract from a report
on the immigration question by Rev. A.
G. Frissell, and not yet published, is on
a timely topic. Rev. Mr.. Erisscll claims
that, though much Of the crime commit.
ted in this. country is by the foreign
born clement, yet tho proper way to
remedy this, 10 not TO shut out tho i'm.
migrants from tho United States, but to
educate them. Tho extract reads Us fol.
lows:
Tho matter Of immigration Is not
now becoming, but has become tho
leading question Of the day. No other
question agitNtins tho public mind Is
demnnding-forclng itself upon our at
tention, to such IN extent MS this, so
soon to be the foremost subject in our
legislation When IT Is known from
recent statistics, 40 attractlvelyL pre-
scnted by Charles Stewart Smith, that
80 per cent OF the number of immi.
grants who arrived during tho last de.
cado were without occupation, and
probably without education; that of
the three clements contributing to the
number Of pcnitcntiary convicts, the
foreign born, tho colorcd population,
md tho native population, ono-third IS
furnished by tho forcign-born; that
nearly threc.ffth Of all panpers sup.
ported by our almshouses are also for
eign born, and that 80 per cent Of tho
native born committed arc OF foreign
parents, it may be easily inferred what
our duties are to our poor and despised
Samaritan neighbors. According 10
MIR. Smith. the dangers threatening us
do not come from tho Anarchists and
bomb.throwers, but "in tho continued
influx Of so large a number OF ignorant
masses" 9n'' ,N240
tits also stated that "four-ffths Of
our criminals are uncducatcd." Chris.
tian education is not referred to, but it
is quite safe to assume that they aro
without this as a rule. How strange
that while the education OF our colored
and Indian population is absorbing the
attention of the charitable public, so
little thought should apparently be Civ.
en- to the appalling ignorance OF every
thing except vice in our thus unwclcomo
visitors, visitors that, have come to, stay.
The American Tract Society needs to
arouse more general and widespread
interest, oenlist moreaid, moro energetic
workin this direction. 1t is the urgency
OF this appeal that presses heavily upon
me as | make my yearly rounds, on
d~cavoring to awake both active and
careless Christians from tho general
apathy that prevails, regarding this
burning question. The evils OF immi-
grafton are often urged against the work
rs futile. SHUT of this impure stream
entirely" say they, and then all this ef-
fort will be needless. tits for thcbene-
lit OF these DIRECTORS, that / wish to
emphasize here the inct that immigra-
ton as n whole is undoubtedly n bless
ing to this country.
Let US turn again to, the "Study OF
Immigration" by Mr.s:SmitlL;an the
hon. John b. Weber, in the. NORTH
!lmariean Repieu for April, where We
find ltstated that, assuming the foreign
population to be estimated at lO,00O, 900,
and that one-fitth OF. these are. wage
earners, ~"S600.000,0O0 per year are thus
added to the earnings OF this country.
and that furthermore, without foreign
labor, the great public works OF the
United States would have been retarded
Tor a quarter Ola century" "By reason
OF this incoming" says Mr.. Weber,
"our almost. limitless resources have
been developed, forests levclled, rail
roads built and canals dug, while: cities
have sprung up, and the. willerneas- has /
been made to blossom and folds to
groan with the weight OF grain to ieod
moi only nt1r nII.1 t.pok ,@oA,l,t,NN tNy,t
to supply a surplus to the toilers over
the sea-" Mr.. Smith points out tho
fact that foreigners are frequently
among our best citizens and that they
have contributed largely totthe artistic,
scientific, commercial and industrial
advancement Of this country.
1t is not GENERALLY known, I believe,
that Alexander Hamilton was IN emil
grant boy brought to this country by the
first prcsiden; Of the chamber Of Com
merce OF Now York; that the first OF
the Agasslzs. the Astors and the Girards
were all foreign born, and>that Andrew
Carnegie was IA poor Scotch lad vino
came to this country forty years ago,
and has donated millionsyof dollars to
found institutions for the education and
refinement OF his adopted countrvmen.
1t is only too evident thatiw cannot
advance. as 4 nation without the help OF
the poor emigrant. 1t is just as evi-
dent that we cannot, prospervas q nation
without remedying this-evilthdt comes
to us along with the food. May{God
arouse n burning enthusiasm in this
matter, among those whp are able, and
~whosought to come to our aid, and a de-
termination such as has never yet been
manifested to use. all proper means to
.Christianize and Amer;canizo the for
elgncr, mot" as Mr.. Weber nicelypu,s
it, "to amputate the foot, but BY all
means to get rid of tho cornn