New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-16
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM.
CHANGED CONDITIONS MAKE RESTRICTIONS
MORE IMPERATIVE.

MORE IMPERATIVE
To tho Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir. AZ who are Interested in the welfare OF the
country should welcome the increased attention
which IS beings 'yen 70 the question Of immigra-
ton IN the rrc/ whether one believes In more or
loss resricto. the great importance OF proper race
deve.opmeut IN any country cannot be denied.
desire to cal attention briefly certain phases Of
rhis question.
The IRE, point IA that conclusions based on the
fleet OF Immigration before 1850 do not necessarily
hod good Al the presen, time. one may well ad-
Init the great benefit % this country OF the earlier
immigration which increased from 6o0o In 1892
% 27as in 1854, without weakening the position
y favor OF further restriction AZ the present time.
he immigration question IS primarily soca'. not
economic Just as any organism grows substan-
lal by picking up the elements about II which
ead.ly assima,e with It's own nature. 80 a nation
mould grow by absorbing only such elements as
oniuce % good citizenship. Now. while i Is OBJ
,ously unfair to condemn nations in wholesale
,,v 20 s,v that al immigrants from certain coun-
ties should be excluded. yet X IL true that. speak
IL broadly. certain nations contain more OF the
Undesirable elements The people OF the same
lool "a the original sctters-who were OF Ger
r,ulc descent with Unborn spirit OF freedom
al A past history OF conquest and success-have
hen naturally the best immigrants. those most
rsdv TO appreciate and cooperate In our Govern
mint and Institutions. And next TO these from
t,p United Kingdom and Germany. those from
Fnnce Norway and sweden have had most similar
trlnng In citizenship and customs. on the other
b.,1 the people who come TO from Austria
Hungary Ita.y. Russia and Poland are quite
dl,erent class They come from physically INFERIOR
,,..s ,,ho have been downtrodlen socially and po-
u,callv Many Of them ndescribaoly dirty
T,ev form considerable portion Of the z per cent
,lo could not read and the "a per cent who could
~, write their own language who were admitted
LAD yeor That these defects are their misfortune
no their fault. in no way lessons the DANGER We
run in trying to assmiiate them. or makes 'hetn
an, more ready 10 our Institutions rignty'
Now It Is a very striking fact and one not gen
er,,lv known that In 1869 the Immigration from the
s.mnd the comparatively undesirabie cass OF
countries was one one-hunIreith me n,ss VI 49,
sr.bir class; In lNND one-tehth !" 1870 "''"o' 'f
To give them exactly:
Per cent Per cent. Per cent
Firit class. .................sSW 80, 20
,., no noticed that the first class immigrants
I'm rs;e constituted near.y nne-tenths OF the Iota
nuuber who came to us whi'e las, y ,n arsi,ments
~ - ,hings should always be as they nave beei
the country has not snfiertS IN ,ne Of
police hospitals and prisons. arse'y ht h, -
by foreigners the difficulties about teac",S ,c,ne
iiyb in mo public schools. the Increase III mumcipa
corruption I'm coonis cities one may question eNv IN
the premise OF the proposition DR. ms ,Se n,u
he fam
pers supported in almshouses were iore's"-oo'"
Of foreign descent , =, -. ,acassartlv any
ethical ntustic. In shutting out people wt,o h a,v
dangerous to our civilization. The queSto" ~
Sar con we admit all who wish 10 come Wilnou.
heing can denatlonazed" The world helped most
by individuals I'm advance OF their uir % ,Tran
nations The United states mas can II not help
no world most by keeping its Constitution intact
and being forever an example 10 the "o''" VI ''''
enlightened self-governmentF -. Month
yreot deal has been said during the last mon.h
hour the falling of OF immigration ana tne ia
crease OF emigraton. Dr' sSr,niy 70 the law OF
March g. 1893 But that law dd nor aua 10
cluded classes. apd when the we have heard
81 nothing but "the unemployed. can we suPpose
Europeans will come here with the id,a ., o snpnose
,h1s condition permanent, and when prosperity "
renewed here the tide OF invasion VIII pieah ""
r,,,noteiv not onicial and not very reliable In
anv aspect. II cannot be resarten rs ~, .Un Sorts
immigra ton. Those VINO go IneN m"nev which they
are now taking home, ana me NOR 10 ha,ter else
energetic ones who think tnsy Gi' have come. the
latter we are sorry lose As to these who Ynr
! cannot do better than rerer 70 rom Which II an
bears that. az compared with 1888 during Iamndpy
February and March. 1894, ne United scsndi
sent 400 per q per cent while italy over
80 per cent and Russia oyer 100 per cent nonon,c IN
o those who consider the question ecohoinic III
for of The social and biological dangers attend
aqH9 40 better s sGla aapsM snfse
~ Wv hanr men talk about the progress OF our
country and by-and-by we hnd they mean Inc IN r.-
nrces the opening OF Its communications the
Spowth OF it's commerce. These do not make
country Nth fa,th until they give themselves to
the ,mprovement OF the human quantles ny Wncn
any real national fe Ike any real personal HE. LES
made. and make the Nauoh more upright 'e
In closing let me call attention to the recently