The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-05-12

IMPORTED MoB0CkAro.
There 10 . deal Of rhetorical rot uttered
concerning tbs American s1piusocras.
there 10 no sueh thing - psutocracy IN
Ameriea. where the halo: IL in every
msn's hand; the really dangerous class IN
Amsrica are not the so-calIed "pIutocrsts"
who are helpless In country where the bal
lot 10 almost universal and where Ne crown
and discrown our rulers ct will: the real
danger to our public peace and tranquility
10 threatsnsd by . constantly increasing
stream Of mobocrstic immigrants. who
stand for imported riot and instruction.
The importation Of large numbers Of
ignorant and brutal immigrants 10 largely
responsible Tor shs pubic disorder that
has disgusted Ill Americans Of peace and
good viii during the last two years. The
leaders and the most iaviess of the rank
and fle Of the Homestead rioters; Of the
Buffalo rioters: Of the cnur Aiens rioters
were incsndiariss of comparatively recent
importation. The most violent evangei-
lists Of socialism and snarchism are men Of
foreign birth and growth. The Milwaukee
and Cleveland riotsrs wsrs composed Of
ignorant Polish immigrants; the ferocious
rioters Of the coke region of Pennsylvania
srs low grade Hungarian All the great
labor riots during the last ten years have
been due 70 this low foreign element ia
strike 10 marked by murdsrous violence II
II almost invariably comparatively recent
immigrsnts Of low grade from the south Of
Europe who are the conspicuous organ
issrs and executives Of threatening and
riot. II 10 safe to say that st the North
lawIsssnsss and riot are chiefly the work
OF recently imported immigrants. We are
suffering fearfusiy today from the evil Of
Unrestricted immigration, which has
brought to our shores vast mass Of de-
graded labor.
On this coast We have urged successfully
the exclusion Of the Chinese, but 1t the
same time We have permitted our Atlantic
sssboard to b invaded BY vastly larger
army Of low class immigration, quite -
vile and degraded. quite - dangerous TO
morals and social order - the Chimes.
Much has bssn said about the flth and the
vice Of Chinatown In San Francisco. It IL
bad enough. but It scarcely equals the filth
and disgusting iicsntiousnssa displaysd BY
the low grade Hungarian immigration
that has poured into the mining districts
Of. Pennsylvania. The ferocious, filthy and
obscene habits Of this low immigration
from Southern Europe are beyond dispute
They are no more assimiiativs and homo
geneous than the Chinese. for when they
have saved by methods that Chinaman
would dsspise 81 600 to 81. 500 they hasten
back to Hungary. whore they can live on
the income of their savings
There II only one sound principle In this
matter Of immigration and that 10 to
exclude immigration Of undesirable
character from every quarter OF the globe.
Until We do this We shall continue 10 i'm.
port instruction and riot. The plsa
against the coming OF criminals and
paupsrs IL ~ simple as that which justines
the refusal Of the law to let man connect
his sewer with his neighbor's we'll OF
drinking water: the public health suffers
when tho well becomes poisoned.
The plea for the stringent restriction oil
immigration really rests upon the same
logic pleaded for the policy of protection.
II it was not for our policy of protection
the wagss Of tho American workingman
in competitive industries would fall TO
the level Of the European workingman,
for otherwise the manufacturer would DO
Obliged to go out of business. Restriction
upon immigration 10 consistent with the
philosophy Of the policy Of protection "a
American industry. because a tidal wave
of cheap labor would tend to degrade the
American workiugman by forcing his
wages down to the level of the toiters OF
Europe. Immigration TO be safe and
helpful must be spontaneous; must be the
result Of individual will obcying the laws
Of industry and the tendencies OF the age.
Wendell Phillips once said: "fmmigra.
ton of legitimate labor il an unmixed
good. hus the importation of mere human
freight 10 40 unmixed evil"
Every lover Of progress deplores the in.
PRODUCTION here of any element that viii
lessen wages. The handspring OF oa.
progress has been the better wages ths
American workingman has commanded
over the European workingman in the
same industry. The importation of chsar
labor ought to be restricted for the sake o.
repubiicanism and civilization. and c hear
labor Mr.. Phillips believed TO DO an IN
mixed evil.