Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-01-18
Immigration and the West.

1t appears that there is strong
and perhaps preponderating senti-
ment in the West against any re-
striction of immigration. The fear
of cholera will probably lead to an
acquiescence in temporary stop
page, even total, but when the
question of a permanent policy is
brought up it is possible that the
West will be found opposite to the
East. Nor is this to be wondered
at. The most valuable of all our
immigrants are those who come to
this country to take up farms and
make homes for themselves. At
present they are mainly Germans or
Scandinavians. OF these immi-
grants we in the East see little or
nothing, while in the West they
are well known and accordingly
valued. In most cases their ultimate
destination is chosen before they
leave their native countries. They
go directly to the scene of their fu-
ture labors and there set to work.
Everybody will agree that these
are not the people We need to keep
out. But the most rigid measure
of exclusion yet proposed would not
keep them out. If every head of a
family of intending settlers had to
pay 500 tax upon his admission to
the country, he would pay it, and
by the fact of paying it give proof
of thift and industry. This sum
would not measure the difference in
his choice between this and any
other emigrant field. 1t would
hardly pay him to take ship for
Canada and 60 West to Manitoba
and then smuggle himself and his
family over the border for the sake
of evading the payment of this
amount even if it were feasible for
him to do so.
But there is still another class of
immigrants who are desired in the
West more than in the East, and
that is the class Of unskilled labor
ers, who bring to the country moth
ing but physical strength, and who
are alike ignorant and careless con-
corning American institutions and
the English language. Though
they stay here for ten years, and
though they find it convenient or
profitable to become naturalized,
they remain aliens and sojourners.
At present they are largely Italians.
That they are economically valu-
able is attested by the fact that they
earn their living here, and, having a
low standard of living, are even
able to save money. But their
economic value is offset by the So
cial and political danger that is
threatened by foreign element elig-
ible to citizenship, which yet is
never really assimilated and Ameri-
canized. In the view Of many there
are not enough of them here already
to do the crude labor of the coun-
try as cheaply as it ought to be
done. No useful and promising
enterprises have been abandoned in
the West for want of labor. The
tendency of this immigration is to
increase very rapidly unless it is
checked. It's rapid increase may
mean the reduction Of wages Of UNI
skilled labor and the degradation of
the standard of living of unskilled
laborers. That is an economical
advantage, but it does not seem
that it is natural advantage.
There is third class of immi-
grants who are not wanted any,
where, and that is the class of help
less and pauperized persons who
have been burdens upon the conf
munities in which they were born,
and who are foredoomed to be
burdens upon any communities in
which their lot is cast. OF this
class the West sees comparatively
little, and the agricultural West
scarcely anything. The tendency
of such immigrants is to congregate
| in cities, where the chances Of
picking up living" by means that
vary between begging and stealing
are the best. Commonly, out of
mere helplessness and inertia, they
remain where they are dumped from
the steamers, or in the neighbor-
hood. That is to say, they are bur-
dens upon the East rather than
upon the West. The West shouldnot
insist that immigration shall not be
sifted, because itself is apt to get the
pick of it and the East the refuse.
It ought to acquicsce in legislation
that will, so far as possible, eliminate
the refuse altogether. Such legis-
lation will undoubtedly diminish the
immigration, aud by so doing retain
for a longer time the very advan-
tooe which makes this country