The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1893-01-20
g.HE INIlIaR IIoN aUEsTYoN.


This hi q great country. In SOME
prospects, e is the greatest county the
world ever saw. Our fathers bad but a
5 faint conception Of its magnitude and
the place It was destined to takeamong
the nations 81 the earth. Atthe found.
] ing Of the republic It did not IS now
measure iliteen hundred miles from its
HsnoFthern to its southern boundary, nor
} extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
! ITS founders saw, however, that The
soant four million Of people comprising
is population were unequal TO the task
Of developing Its boundless resources
I creven 81 occupying al the vast ex-
ipanse 81 territory then contained within
Z is unexplorsd and vague and indeRnate
boundary lines. and considering the
leomiaE millions in the overcrowaed
municipalities Of The old world, they
generously and wisely invited them to
icome over and occupy the land, The
, invitation was accepted gladly and
thousands and tens Of thousands came,
and as they continued to pour in upon
us the wonderful extent and resources
of the county were more fully made
known and those who had heretofore
worked for sOanty wages and endured
toll and privatioa in the old world were
very thankful for this chance Of better
| ing their condition.
The more that came the more the
wealth, fertility and magnitude of the
country was made known and its posi-
bilities appeared to be practically limit
less. The only thing required Of these
foreign born people was that they
should work honestly, live uprightly
and obey our laws and conform 10 our
institutions. These conditions fulfilled
they were considered welcome and
accorded equal rights and privileges
with ourselves; even sharing in the
government.
The wisdom Of this course was abun,
dainty proved by the rssuits that fol,
lowed. A mighty nation sprang ND as
if by magic. The foreign born citizen
readily assimilated himself to the tran.
sition from poverty to affluenoe, from
a bondage to an imperial or monarehal
government to the dignity of free
American citizenship and was prona Of
his rights and privileges and the
absorption Of this element into the pure
American stock 80 far from enervating.
degenerating or decorating the whole,
sGded elements OF strength to the
American character and our progress in
material civilization was never sur
passed or even equaled in The worlds
history. 1t is proper here to remark that
the elements composing this immense
immigration were, until within a com
parativelyreoent date derived principal
ly from the German states, Great Brit
ain and ireland, and as a rule possessed
OF a fair degree Of intelligence and able,
at least, 10 read and write.
Within the past decade, however,
some of the nations have begun to nm
load upon our shores a very different
class ofimmigrants, not only not Rssirni-
iatiye in character but ignorant, vicious.
idle, aeditious, lisloyhl and even the
poverty stricken, the criminal and the
diseased. To saeh an sxteut has this
evil prevailed, increasing each year, rs
TO oause widespread alarm and demand
from all quarters for some stringent
preventive measures.
While it is admitted by all that somg
remedial legislation is needed, and in,
deed we are not without good and
wholesome laws on the subject, somt
would go to the extent of raising an
impFegnRble barrier against any and al
Immigration. In the light Of our past
history we deem this too radical q
measure 10 be entertained, contrary t1
all precedent and not IN harmony with
the geRius Of our institutions. II i.
true that in many instances immigrants
have aOcked TO our large cities in snch
numbers as TO reduce the price of labor
10 an extent heretofore unknown il
this country and the Amerisan laboreI
Is, therefore, very bitter, hut il would
seem that the evil might be mitigated
without an unqualified prohibition Of
further immigration. We yet have .
vast expanse Of country whose virgin
soil IS untouched by the pillow, We
have mines 10 be developed, many rail,
roads and wagon roads yet 10 build and
many more inolories are needed 10 worE
iuto fabrics, Supplements, ETC., oar vast
national productions.
The Fise and conservative course
uonld seem to be to amend and add &c
existing laws Cd the subject 30 Is "a
reduce to a minimum She evils 81 which
we have spoken and still wsleone to
our shores al who haEe az honest and
earnest intention 10 become American
ritizans in the true sense Of the aermi
vino are ahleb0dlsa and ailiiHg 10 work
who can az least read and writei who
are neither criminals Raupsrs o. dis
eased and, above All, not imbnsd will
anarchist theories o. procliYitiss. Onlg
these and none ether.
ssFF4F y,