Chicago eagle., 1893-11-18

that the testimony taken by the
Ford committee shows that seventy
five per cent. of the inmates of all
the lunatic asylums and poorhouses
are of foreign birth. This statement
is absolutely unwarranted by tRe
facts
Mr. Oates-I state, Mr.. Speaker
Mr.. Goldzier-I can not permit the
gentleman TO waste any OF my time.
Mr.. Oates-But you are denying
statenSnt that | have made.
Mr.TGoldzier-I can not permit the
gentleman to interrupt me.
Mr.. Oates-You get the proof and
see whether that statement is correct
or not.
Mr.. Goldzier-I have the proof
right here.
Mr.. Oates-You have the testi-
mony?
Mr.. Goldzier-I have the proof
right here.
The Speaker-The gentleman from
Illinois declines to be interrupted.
Mr. Goldzier-If the Ford COM, !.
mittee, of which the gentleman FROM
Alabama was member, had taken
the trouble to consult the census of
1885, If they had resorted to the
records, they would never in this
manner have vilihed the good name
and fame of the immigrants into this
country.
What does the census show? The
census shows, as far as the insane
population is concerned, the follow
ing total results: OF the insane in
the whole United States the native
clement furnishes 50, $50, and the
foreign-born element furnishes 26,-
329. Thus the percentage instead of
being IS is less than 33 per cent. 1t
shows, furthermore, that not only is
it untrue that IS per cent. of th0sk,
who fill the almShOuSeS are foreigI-'
ers, but it is untrue that that is the
case in any single State in the Union,
and there are only three or four
States in which the foreign element
exceeds the native born element.
Concerning almshouses, this same
document (and | presume it is as re-
liable as the report of the Ford com
mittee) shows the total number of
native-born inmates of almshouses as
A, 106, and foreign born 22,96l: and
tit shows in the whole United States
but two States, California and New
York, where the number of foreign
born people in the almshouses ex7N
ceeds that Of the native born. !
Among the provisions in this bin
which show the animus of the meas
ure and the arrogance of the class
that fathers II, is the educational
qualification it provides for in re-
Quiring the applicant to be able to
read the Constitution of the United
States. Admitting even that this
qualification should De a prerequisite
to citizenship, it should be enforced
alike against natives as well as
against the foreign born. 1t i'll be-.
comes the gentleman hailiDg froHA
the State of Alabama to insert in his
bill such provision, while the sta
tistics show that in his own State
the illiteracy Of the native-born
white population exceeds that of the
fOreign-born population in any State
to degree which is scarcely credible.
Referring again to the census, it
shows that in the State of Alabama,
the State from which the gentleman
halls, the illteraCy of the white
populatiOn-nOt the blacks-the illit-
eracy Of the white natiye-born popu-
latiOn is % per cent, while the illit-
eracy Of the foreign-born population
is ~ per cent. 1t shows further, IN
a numbe Of tables, that throughout
the South the percentage is substan-
italy the same; that in Arkansas, for
instance, another State in which i'm
migration is inconsderable, the illit-
eracy is 25.5 per cent of the native
born white population and the illit-
eracy of the fOreign-bOrn is So per
cent; that in Virginia, within the
very shadow of this Capitol, within
the reach almost of my voice, the
illiteracy of the white native born
population is 1875 per cent, while
the illit racy of the foreign-born ele-
, ment is 5.4 per cent 1t shows
. lul UIlCl UndU III dll UliOoC AOlobOo OiioN
have been blessed, and | say blessed
advisedly, by immigration the state
Of education among the people is
much higher than it is in tates such
? as that represented by the gentleman
to which there has been but little i'm.
' migration.
! These stubborn, disagreeable fig.
, ures show farther that in Alabama,
> where the foreign-bOrn population
amounts to less than per cent, the
number of those persons over 0 years
OF age unable 10 read amounts to 43. {
, per cent while in Minnesota, which
has over 80 per cent Of foreign-born
= inhabitants, the percentage is 81
in Illinois, with one-sixth foreign
born element, t.. per cent illiterate
in Nebraska, with about 0ne.sixtf
9 fOrsign-borD, 2.j per cent; and in
: New York, with about % per cent
= OF foreign-burn inhabitants the per
c centage is 4.2.
q | hope that these figures will con
| vtp .nu fptnpI fryt, L.. a.,