The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-01
WHAT WILL NE THE RESULT

What will be the result of the large
and reckless immigration that is certainly
pouring into the United States from the
East and from the West? Do our politi-
cal economists study the matter closely?
What influence Is this mass Of indis-
criminate foreign elements having upon
our people? Is It swallowing us up. or
are we gulping It down easily and readily,
or perhaps il ia gradually neutralizing
all of the best results that we have OBJ
tanned from the various Strings of the
centuries. The larger portion Of this
nasty horde knows nothing OF our Ian
guage and is an utter stranger to the
genius of American institutions. 1t is
not without the range OF probabilities
that we may degenerate under this for
bidding influx from other lands. Prof.
Richmond Mayo-Smith has recently made
a valuable contribution to this subject
entitled, Statistical Data for the Study
Of the Assimilation of Races and Ma
tionalities in the United States" Prof.
Mayo-Smith gives comparisons that are
instructive. For example. to each hun
dred Of males of twenty-one years and
over there are foreign-born males of that
age to the number of thirty-seven in
Massachusetts. forty in Rhode Island.
thirty-six in Illinois, forty in Michigan,
fifty-three in Wisconsin, ffty-nine in
Minnesota and sixty-ive in North
Dakota. Cmtrariwise, the proportion in
Maine is fifteen, in Vermont nineteen, in
Indiana twelve, in Missouri seventeen
and in Kansas nineteen.
The Boston Herald. in discussing the
professors article. together with the fore
going statistics, says: but is there any
thing in the governments of these states
or in the general tendency of their in
stitutions, such as schools, courts, etc,
that would indicate that the foreign popu-
lation was injuriously affecting the well
fare Of the country? Is there, for ex-
ample, any higher grade of intelligence,
public spirit or material prosperity in In
diane and Missouri. two states in the
plexion, than in Wisconsin and Mime
sofa? The process Of assimilation has
gone on, good government under the con-
stitution has prevailed, and it is salts
factory to believe that the same process
will be continued in the years that are to
come, and that the force Of the political
and social institutions first established by
the early settlers will be more than equal
to the task of moldlng into acquiescence
those who seek our shores from other
parts of the world" This is an encourag-
ing and cheerful view of the subject. but
the alluson to Minnesota makes apropos
the following extract from the NIinneap-
oils Tribune:
At the meeting of Minneapolis citizens
at the rooms of the Commercial club on
Saturday evening, the remark Of one Of
the speakers TO the effect that laws
restriction of immigration was greeted
with general applause. The hordes of
Huns. Bohemians. Polaeks and other
scum and offscOurings Of European coun-
tries, who make up the bulk of the riot
Gus mObS at Chicago, have emphasized
the danger of admitting immigrants with
out regard to their quality or qualihca-
ton for becoming American citizens. In
the absence of sufficiently stringent laws.
something may be done by the courts by
exercising due discrimination in the issue
of naturalization papers. The intelligent
and law-abiding foreigners who come here
to make this country their home are all
right. There is no objection TO them
They constitute some Of our best citizens.
But the ignorant, the degraded the vile
and the criminal are not wanted and
should be kept out.
We feel that Indiana has been fortunate
with the foreigners who have settled
among us. With few exceptions they are
all right and readily assimilate with our
people.