The record-union., 1894-07-09
IMMIGRATION AND LABOR CON
DITIoNS.

In the growth of this nation from its
inception down to within twelve months
of this date, immigration has been an i'm
portant factor. Accessions from this
source have been two-fold. First, the
number coming to America was adirectly
aseertainable quantity. But a still more
important element was the children born
of the immigrant class. Emigration to
distant country is confined largely to the
young. The maximum number received
into America in any one year is set down
IN the year 1888, when nearly 100000
foreigners landed on our shores and were
merged into our industrial system. Of
that number it may safely be said that
eighty or ninety per cent. were in the
ehild-bearing age of their lives 1t is for
this reason that the birth rate in the Uni
ted States has shown larger percentage
TO the total population than in any other
country. From these two sources then
immigration and the offspring of immi
grants-the growth Of population has en-
sued.
The statement emanating from the Bu-
resu of information to the effect that the
emigration from the United States ex-
ceeds the immigration for the first time
in eighty years, gives rise to serious re-
Election. The hegira from the United
L =
hard times. A period of prosperity such
as no nation ever enjoyed began about the
year 1875 and continued to the year 1891.
Between the years 1880 and-IS90 there
were constructed in the United States
$4,000 miles of railroad, involving an ex-
penditure of g, 600, ,O0O, 600. There was con-
sumed in the construction of these roads
100000 tons of American steel. The
employment given to labor invited here
vast foreign immigration; that immi-
grafton helped to swell the ranks of labor
beyond all due proportion. In fact, to
that immigration is largely chargeable
the existing changed condition in the
perfect work, that the excess of labor has
been temptation to capital to seek re-
.duction in the rate of wages, that bad
balance between labor and capital has
been established, it turns its face home
ward.
This is, however. but one feature of
the case. 1t may now be acknowledged
that the American nation has reached
that stage of growth where its young peo-
pie will emigrate to other countries. Cur
rents of emigration are set in motion by
the disparity of conditions relating to
prosperity as between two countries hsv-
ing communication with each other. The
case is analogous to that of two water
tanks set side by side, one full of water
and the other empty. Connect them by
a pipe at the bottom and gravity will
divide the water between them with
greater mathematical precision than
would be possible to the finest scales. AS
soon as gravity is compensated, the cur
rent ceases to low. Our country has
been empty Of population. Its vast terri
torial extent has invited that population.
and it has come to US by q force eQuiva-
lent to the operation of gravity upon
water.
Conditions, however, are now equal
lied. Hereafter for every immigrant that
we receive we will lose native, because
we can receive the immigrant only by
wedging him in. Our vessel is full, and
every drop of accession viii be followed
by its equivalent overflow. We have
passed the stage when foreign immigra-
ton is longer desirable. We have reached
that point in our history where it has be-
come undesirable, where in fact, as ma
tional policy it is q mistake We can re-
ceive foreign immigration hereafter only
at the expense of crowding the native or
naturalized population out of the country.
AS a national policy then, based upon
wise craftsmanship mot pursued as g
prejudice against races or nations), it
behooves the United States to restrict
foreign immigration. The foreign immi-
grant will come to US hereafter to share
our prosperity only, and will leave US as
soon as that prosperity subsidies. With
the recurrence of prosperous times, we
will have recurrence of the tide of popu-
sstion, and this by producing disparity