The Press., 1892-03-17
] w. C. T. U. DEPARTMENT.
Invited Danger.

live to celebrate their second centennial, the reason assigned being that no nation can long survive when the vicious classes are permitted to make it's laws. There is much truth in this statement, whether. we accord it to the dignity of prophecy or credit 1t to so eminent man. We have been told that our cities are fast be- coming centers of dangerous, political power, in proof of which we have but to study the political trickery of Chicago, New York, St. Louis and other large cities in order to become convinced that the half has not been told us. It is an easy matter to trace political action from it's source to it's final result; law and common scpse should invite the attention of our statesem, if we have any, to the source of our troubles. It Is hardly pos sible to bring forward question of more vital interest to this government than that of our invited danger in the form of foreign imasfgr0tion.
 The drink problem, as also the question of capital and labor, is involved in this question of foreign born citizenship. There is 8 strong feeling, daily growing stronger, that. we have reached, if we have not already passed, the point where promiscuous immigration is no longer safe or desirable. A great tidal wave seems to bringing the worlds humanity to our shores, until we stand somewhat appalled, at the vision which greets our eyes at Castle Garden.
 Of late an inadequately considered fac tor has entered into this transportation of "human ballast" which, as MT. Pow derly says, 'loads and unloads itself," and that factor is the money there is in the business. At so much per head this
 'ballast" walks into and out of the great steamships, and is landed in New York to fall at once into the hands of vile poli- tieians, who, understanding how to ma nipulate the laws of naturalization, pro- ceed in hot haste to array these ignorant people, to say nothing of their moral deg radiation, in the garments or citizenship, and so with the privilege of making our laws. MT. Powderly affirms that the h. man steamship company alone have $500 agents, in Europe gathering up this human scum to be spread over this country. One agent said thas he made it a point to seek out every man who had committed an offense and who might be easily persuad- ed to "leave his countFE for his country's good, and placed them on ship-hoArd, bound fol the United States, taking good care to pocket the not inconsiderable fec
 In spite of these facts and the threat ened danger, many men are saying: "It is good thing to have these men come here; they mine our coal and do our rough. hard work; they develop the soil land bring ts light our hidden gold and Esilver. '
 Yes, the better class of immigrants do thelp solvetth problem of our national |:resources of wealth, but what of that |.class who stay behind in our large cities to become irritant factors in social life, and who put blasts, not of powder, into coal and gold mines, but of social and anarchistic dynamite under the very foun- dations of our government?
 We can better afford to wait century for further development of wealth, than to have our national treasury run over with heaped-up gold secured at the expense of ruined American citfzenshipi The storm signal has been run up: if we do not heed the alarmsswe shall behold this fair land, with her dearly bought institutions, civil and religious, sacrificed to foreign igno- rance and popish supremacy!
 Some cry '.No danger" and laugh at the bare mention of the need of restrict i've immigration laws, or compulsory edu- cational laws. They say, with proud,
 boastful air, America can take care oi all who come 'here.' Most marvellous
 nave been the powers of assimilation shown thus far by this country, thanks
 to the heroic efforts of good, true men to
 counteract the awful influence of this i'm.
 ported ignorance anndd n d 'v,;iciousness, by in.
 creasing the means of religious instruc
 tion and privileges. The sums of money given each year by the christian business
 men of Chicago for moral and religious work, ale simply. enormous, but in spite , of all generosity the social ulcer enlarges the dangerous. element increases. Wha is, to be done? The strain this countr, has endured for the last decade canno , with safety be kept up. ...
 Il How long shall our shores be used a. the "dumping ground" for the pauperl ; and criminals of Europe? How long shal these creatures be permitted to make ou
 laws, and how long shall the liquor traffi' use this ballast to steady their privat, r vessels through the sea of state and na ], tional politics, until they drop anchor il I the ports of state legislatures and tn, a United States congress There is but on : remedy: Either prohibit such immigra , tion, or refuse it citizenship.
 ei., Itiis safe to say that the only leasol 7 why the "opium joints" of the Chimes arc not legalized to-day is because ou eI Celestial visitors are not clothed wit i citizenship. Put the ballot into the hand e of the Chinese and their political marke r value can be easily determined. el With over two million voters in thi ). ioountry who cannot read their ballots, ,f would be a4suggestive and profitable stud }, to learn what per cent. of these are ( n foreign birth, and compare them with tn y millions of christian women, intelliger and native born, who are deprived of th i right of franchise, but are not debaar re }, from.paying taxes. nor sharing in the pun 2 ishment which follows committed crime II The thousands of wives and mother E who are not ignorant, vicious nor paupel r---no, nor foreign born do solemnly ent, 7 their protest against this idiotic state ss Ithings, and demand better laws and g be