Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-11-21
EDMUND,S ON IMMIGRATION.

Ex-senator Edmunds, talking to
Kate Field on the question of immi-
grafton, says:
ssDo you read the lesson of this
presidential election? Here in New
York Cleveland's majority of 1000 is
made of voters not born in the United
States. I do not say whether this is
good or an evil; it is fact that the
government of New York is actually
controlled by the foreign vote.
''This foreign vote is controlled by
associations of foreign born citizens
who keep up separate nationalities in
classes, and operate on the govern
ment of the United States as if they
had a special and separate interest
from those born in this country. Thus
we have Irish Americans, French
Americans, German Americans, and
SO on. In consequence the people act
and are taught to act in political af-
fairs in their foreign national charac
ter.
"Such reason for acting is, of course,
utterly absurd, if not wicked, as there
is no possible sense that any one can
suggest by, in their political charac-
ter, these people should be other than
American. Never has there been any
legislation, administration, policy or
sentiment adverse to them, so long as
they have considered themselves citi-
zens of the United States in a political
sense.
'sBut, as it is, this present election
demonstrates that the government of
this country is to be carried on accord
ing to the wishes of foreign born citi-
zens, who, in that character, have de-
cided the election. Allowing for all
phases and phantasies of the money,
tariff, prohibition, Farmers alliance,
and other questions, if the election
had been controlled by citizens who
call themselves merely Americans
Mr. Harrison would have been elect
ed
'tThe point is not whether Mr.. Har-
rison and his party or Mr.. Cleveland
and his party would best carry On af
fairs, but it is that the character of
the government is determined by the
will of those who act upon it, and I'M
der names and influences that do not
appear to be simply American. Set
ting aside politics, the social aspect of
the immigration question is, perhaps,
still more serious.
ga very large proportion of our ina
migration is made up of people whom
their country is glad to get rid of, not
always, or perhaps, generally, because
vicious or paupers, but because in
their own communities they are least
liable to promote the general welfare.
Having become, they continue to be
clannish, and as soon as they become
sufficiently acclimated, socially, un-
derstand their power when acting to-
gether. They insist upon retaining
their own language, upon its being
taught in public schools, in some no
table instances practically to the ex
clusion of the language of the coun-
try adopted as their final home. Ev-
y
tials of national unity and society pro-
gress is a common language.
sSIn this and other ways too numer
Gus to mention the stupendous immi
grafton now going on is more than
likely to produce very serious evils IN
the way of undermining, and finally
overthrowing, that homogeneous unity
and interest and social life without
which no republic can long exist
Speaking of the result of the eEec-
ton, this is the way Florida paper
puts it in biggest letters:
'sThe honest people of America fri
umphantly rebuke republican fraud,
thievery, violence and oppression!
Harrisonism, Raumism, McKinIeyism,
Quayism and republicanism repudiat-
ed and destroyed forever! The whole
country practically unanimous against
republican force bills, pension steals,
robbed tariff taxes and corruption in
high places.'' 1t will be remembered |
that this same Florida was fighting to
destroy this great country not many
years ago, and that to-day large
share of the voters are DISTINGUISHED |
by those who are exultant over Har-
rison's defeat.
Me-