The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-08-27
vetoes were based on rulings by the pc
sion bureau.
THE REAL DANGER.

A contemporary makes use of the fact
that 100000 immigrants landed in this
country during the first seven months OF
this year to argue that 1.-THE greatest dan
ger threatening the republic is from an I'M
armed invasion by foreigners" The edi-
tor thinks that every European and Asietic
who comes to this country weakens an
American in certain degree and therefore
lessons the strength of the republic.
THE HERALD would not like to accept or
adopt such a theory. TO do so would not
be American. 1t would be to discount the
tradition Of the century and to confess
that the theory upon which the republic
was founded Is false and its practice
q failure. Those who established the
government declared the equality of
men, and they did not restrict the declara-
ton TO men OF this continent They went
farther, and proclaimed the fact that the
nation which was being set up was to furnish
an asylum for the oppressed of all nations.
From the first the invitation has stood,
and the great republic has let 1t be known
that all will be welcome who come here for
the benefits and privileges of our form OF
practice was made has been demonstrated
from the beginning. Instead of being
threat and danger the foreign-born ele-
ment have proven a strength and a source
Of wealth. They rapidly assimilate,
and soon become fully Americanized.
Many OF the foremost citizens came
to this country as immigrants. Some
states may almost be said to be
under the control of those who first
saw the light in other lands, yet the loyalty
Of those states cannot be questioned, nor
are their governments less republican or
less American than those of states where
the foreign born element is insignificant.
AT most the s'foreign'' nature has been
eliminated with the passing away of the
generation, the children of this generation
of immigrants being as much American as
any of US. There is really no danger in
continuing the policy of the past century
in this matter 1t is even questionable if a
reversal of that policy would not be iniuri-
Gus, while there are millions of acres of
unoccupied land and vast natural resources
which can only be made productive and de-
veloped by human labor. Let them come
as fast as ships will fetch them, and
generations, if not centuries, will pass be-
fore there is crowding, the population be-
coming so numerous that It viii slop over.
There is danger, however, in this con-
neciion. 1t 10 not from the number of I'M
migrants, but from our own eagerness TO
clothe the newcomers with political power.
Our laws and the ambition of our poll
ticians are the sources of the danger. Men
are admitted to citizenship and endowed
with the voting power before they under
stand the nature of the government or
have demonstrated their worthiness to en-
Joy these great privileges. 1t is impossi-
BILE to keep out all of the ugly and the ig-
norant elements. Some of them will come
in spite of the most careful watchfIlness
If these elements were restricted in their
political powers, they would not be dan
gerous. for as individuals for whom the
politicians and Office seekers have no affec-
tion they can be easily held in check 1t
is when we make them citizens anG tell
them they are equal at the ballot box with
the very best, the most loyal and law abid-
ing members of society that the danger be-
gins.
1t WILL in our opinion, be long time be-
fore the United states will find it neces-
sary in the interest and for the protection
of their people to close our ports against
immigration. We doubt that immigration
will ever threaten the government. But
the time has arrived when safeguards
should be thrown about citizenship and
determined effort put forth to restrict
naturalization TO those who can give rea-
sonable assurance by a sufficiently long
residence that they are devoted to the laws
and institutions of the republic and will be
trustworthy citizens.