The Republican journal., 1893-03-16
Danger Ahead.
GEN. WALKER, IN A LECTURE ON IMMI-
GRAFTON, SAYS FOREIGN LABOR MEN
ACES AMERICAN WAGES.

GEN. WALKER, IN A LECTURE ON IMM1-
GRAFTON, SAYS FOREIGN LABOR MEN
ACES AMERICAN WAGES
Gen. Francis A. Walker recently deliver
ed a lecture on the subject Of s'Immigra-
ton before the members Of the Women S
Industrial and Educational Union in Per-
kins Hall, Boston. 1t contained much mat
ter of interest Gen. Walker said in sub
stance: A very considerable change has
come over the public mind Of late regarding
the subject OF immigration. Fifteen years
ago, even, Immigration was encouraged as
one of the chief sources of national prosper
ity. ct to-day the question of restricting,
if not suspending entirely for term of
years, is spontaneously pressed upon oul
legislators. Primarily the reason our faith
ers favored immigration was the belief that
the new arrivals constituted actual rein
forcements TO our civilization. Yet the
actual result was a replacing of the native
by the foreign stock
Gen. Walker then read a multiplicity Of
Statistics the conclusion Of which was
that during the four decades following the
year 1870, when there was a relatively
small foreign immigration. the native
population increased marvelously After
,
and in the same proportion the native
population fell off Ia 1890 the population
OF the country WAS II. 600. 600 short Of the
predictions, based on the statistics 81
previous growth, of Elkanah Watson, and
this in spite ef the vast foreign iinmigra-
ton, which ID the years lSSO-H0 amounted
t. }. 800, 900 Ii was the incolning IF the
foreigners, With their lower standards ot
decency and living, which produced this
effect. Population is always acutelA sem
Stve to social and economic Influences.
The enormous accession OF FOREIGNERS.
especially during he Irish famine q SAG :
effected Il tremendous social change. In
to the decent New England country pour
ed hundreds and thousands Of people born
and living III condition nf >qualor. Tie
American sllrank from the economic ana
individual contact and competition he
found himself subject to. The native
stock fell Off.
The erroneous notion found expression
that men were needed i'll this country to
do the least skilful and most laborious
labor. The lrishman was imported to do
this work, without regard to the probable
quality of his citizenship. But before this
era We're not Americans perfectly willing
to do this work? | would rather have the
worst work done by the most intelligent
citizens
People are becoming impressed by the
enormous volume of immigration. Not
even America can digest and assimilate
the mass. 1t threatens a serious evil. All
the free public lands are taken up and
there is decline in the price of the
products of the soil. But it is in the
character of the immigrants that the chief
danger lies. 1t is a pipe line draining
every foul and stagnant pool. Instead OF
taking the best people of the best coun-
tries we get beaten men of beaten coun-
tries. The danger is industrial rather
than political 1t is a menace to the
American rate If wages and standard Of
living. Mining. cigar and cloth manufac-
turing, are already exhibiting the evil ef-
fects of this competition. 4 crisis has
arrived But a way is open to proper
settlement Of this problem. Whenever
the people-w henever the laboling men
desire to restrict immigration they can do