The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-11-13
SUBJECT OF IMMIGRATION.
Rev. Mr.. Christensen Presents Facts Be-
fore the Progress Club.

The subject of immigration received the
attention of the Progress Club at it's regu-
lar meeting yesterday afternoon, the prin-
cipal speaker being Mr.. Christensen, who
spoke for about a half hour in a logical
and forcible exposition of the situation, as
1t seemed to him TO exist at the present
time. At the outstart he announced that he
intended to express no opinion pro or con
upon the question, but would simply endeav-
or to give the facts, as ne had gathered
them, and leave his auditors TO draw their
own conclusions therefrom. The statement
OF facts as given by the speaker, however,
was a very strong argument for rigid reg
ulations and restrictions to immigration.
His talk, although no opinion was expressed,
left one very much of the opinion that the
speaker was convinced that restricted i'm
migration was almost, if not quite, a neces-
sity to the preservation of American insti-
tutions in their Americanism. Questions
were propounded to him, which he swered
readily and IN accordance with the line of
He was asked to specify what particular
type he called American, whether it was the
Puritan Of New England, the Knickerbocker
of New York, or any OF the other types
which the country had known. The speaker
said his idea of what was distinctly Amer
lean was neither of these, but all of them.
he thought Amer1caniSm was a conglom-
crate characteristic combining the good of
all. If the immigrants to this country as
simulated readily there would probably not
be the necessity for restricted immigration,
but as they did not the necessity existed.
He was questioned as TO the right of the
country to restrict immigration, those hold
ing that the country had not the right to
say nay to a foreigner desiring entrance
10 the country flew into vapory theorizations
In which they were wont to allude TO the
world as Gods fOotstool, and deny to the
people of one portion the right TO say 10
those of another part that they should not
commIngle with the latter, according to
the sweet will of the former. in the five
minute discussion which followed a number
OF those present took exceptions TO the
expressions OF MIR. Christensen, while others
supported him.
The chairman Of the meeting, Mr.. Krull,
who is himself a foreigner, pointed to the
aliZation of the republican form of govern
ment, and stated that there were cantons
IN that country where Italian. or French,
or German was the only language that was
spoken, yet the country prOspered. This
was answered by Mr.. Christensen. who said
that. while ii was true there were several
languages spoken in the little country OF
Switzerland, and that there were cantons
In which a foreign Language was spoken al
together. ii was true that these people were
ali Swiss mOuntaineerS, TO matter what
language they spoke. 1t was not so in this
country. and the immigrants who arrived
here did not become thoroughly American.
This was demonstrated by the bid for the
Irish vote, the German vote, the Scandi-
navian vote, and the vote of other national
tiles. when we should remember that there
was not room in any ballot box in the cOun-
try for anything save an American vote.