The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-07-18
TWO rKoBL9ms.


before the rainds of thinking people Of the
United States Two problems which Ameri-
can siatesmsnship will be compelled 10
solve before many years have passed.
The first Of these - the problem Of I'm
| migration. As our manniacturers ars en-
titled 10 protection against foreign COM
petition. our workingmen are likewise
entitled to projection against the pauper
labor Of Europe. American labor and the
degraded Labor Of portions of the old
World should pot be brought into COM
petition. whether the lasSer Is in its native
land or transferred 20 our own shores.
Aside from this view od the question.
every instinct OF self-preseTvatfon as q
people and as a nation urges Us TO make an
effort to stem the tide Of undesirable irn-
migration which has for years bees pour
ing upon our shores. A very large portion
OF those who have emigrated 10 this coun-
try during the last twenty years have been
from 9 class of people from whom ii is
impossible to make good aud lsw-abiding
American citizens. They bring with them
degraded habits of life and vicious habits
Of thought They regard government as
oppression and liberty as license. They
have no conception OF the meaning of our
institutions, aud the grand idea of liberty
under law Is to them paradox and a
puzzle.
OF course this sweeping condemnation
should not be applied TO all of our immigra-
ton. We are receiving accessions to our
population from peoples who assimilate
readily with the people of the United
States and in n short time become good
and loyal American citizens. adapting
themselves not only to American ideas,
bus TO American habits of life and thought.
Such is our immigration from the British
islands. from Denmark, Norway and
Sweden, and from the greater part of
Germany. Mingled with this. however,
is Wild and worthless stream which
brings US little that is good and much
that is evil. 1t will be the task of our
stasesmanship 10 devise a plan by which
We can admit immigration that is desir-
able and prevent that which is undesir-
abb. IL no other solution can be found IL
would be better to close the gates entirely
than to permit the present condition of
things 10 continue.
The other problem Is to devise method
for dealing With the questions arising be-
tween capital and labor.
or course there never has been a clviliza-
ton, and there probably never viii be a
| civilization free from disputes between en-
ployers and employees. Such questions
would arise under any conditions that
could exist. so long rs men are employed
| by others and there is use for brain and
muscle. While it Is impossible to prevent
such disputes from arising 1t should De
| possible. under an enlightened civilization,
| 10 lessen their bitterness and TO present
method Of settlement which would be
eiIicacious in many cases If not In all.
The tendency in the United States for
the last quarter Of century has been
toward greater frequency and greater Bit
terness in labor disputes. This tendency
| Is wrong Il should be altogether the other
| way, As our civilization progresses there
| should be Tess friction between its ele-
menis; there should be more harmony and
| less discord in our national chorus.
/ There always will be men like Debs and
! Sovereign Nho will undertake. to create
/ Just such senseless movements as tina; OF
/ the past two weeks. But there is some
thlng wreag when the conditions are such
I that men OF this kind eau find large num-
/ hers Of sympathizsrs and supporters. OF
course under present conditions society
| can do nothing bat protect itself against
/ such men. The obvious and immediate
! duty 81 government Is to suppress lawless-
ness wherever it appears; bus there is
! further duty, aud that is 10 determine the
causes which lead 10 iawIessness. and, il
possible, to find means tor removing
/ them
These tso problems, IS has been said.
/ are the greatest which confront the AmerI.
can people American stASesmansh,p
must meet them and deal with them; not
IN the iconociastie spirit OF the Populist,
+ or os the anarchist. who sees nothing
right ia what exists. bat in the spirit Of
I enlightened patriotism which sees IN
/ America great nasa@a. ard in our govern
meoi ,he hest system that has ever been
devised by man.