The record-union., 1894-08-14
FOREIGN THIsTLEs.


The House Committee on Agriculture
asks Congress to appropriate $l,000,000 to
be used by States within the next FIVE or
six years, in exterminating the Russian
thistle from farm and roadside lands in
the United States.
Doubtless it is necessary to stamp out
this weed before it becomes unman-
ageable, but if Congress would only feel
equal interest in ridding the country of
certain other European and Asiatic pests
which affect US, and prevent the further
importation of them. the public good
would be more conserved.
There are human thistles that have
been imported, and which have taken
root here, and threaten to choke out
Americanism and give us instead
growth of all radicaIisms of the pauper,
criminal and visionary classes of the old
world, with anarchism in the midst.
The necessity for putting up the bars,
high and close, stares the American peo-
pie in the face. Every undesirable i'm
migrant must now be wedged in between
two Americans or two undesirable immi-
grants. There is no place here for the
Objectionable without dangerous crowd
ing. We have neither liking nor
room for them. They have come to us
in SDob ,,1ltitudaS ard NTH s1oh lo1rr
habits of civilization. such gross tastes
and ambitions, and such vacuity of mind
regarding the duties every man In this
free land owes to it, that they are absolute
STUN bling blocks-and more. they crowd
out of place the American worker, upon
whom the Nation makes important de-
mands; of whom it expects intelligence.
loyalty to our institutions, prido in our
present and hope for our future.
1t is no wonder that in all these do
mestic distur Dances we find these Eu-
ropean offscourings to the fore of trouble.
Italy has been driving out her anarchists
for years; Germany has done her utmost
to deport hers; they have been bounced
out of Belgium, driven from Amsterdam,
shipped away by France and Russia, and
even in Spain have been whipped over to
the borders, while England puts such
espionage upon them that there is no
longer happy lot for them there.
It is not surprising that they should
have brought up in America in large
numbers. for this is about the last spot
where the official hand is not extended to
repulse them. If we are to afford our
wage-earners due protection, we must
keep these undesirable immigrants from
crowding them out and contaminating
them.
The time has come when we must put
up the bars. we repeat. high and close,
and also make more difficult the way to
citizenship for such aliens as we do ad-
nit, that the heritage of liberty which
they aspire to possess may be more pre-
cious in their sight because harder to
gain.
Steps in this direction have already
been taken; educational qualification will
probably be the rule for voters in Califor-
MIA after the fall election of 1894; the
naturalization laws are certainly to
be early stiffened and bettered all
around; the immigration regulations
have received the attention of half a
dozen Congressional propositions look
ing to the stopping of the undesirable
immigrant on the other side by requiring
Consular certificates as to character to be
issued as a prelude to shipping for an
American port Two bills, we believe,
are now before Congress proposing to
close the doors upon immigrant laborers
and one bill to close our ports to all ex-
cepting travellers, students, touring scien-
lists and accredited Government agents.
Out of all this stirring up, and which
has been going on for the last five years,
we may reasonably expect some practical,
well-considered results. Congress can
not much longer delay action. The
events of 1894 emphasize the demand of
the people made upon it. that these mat
ters shall have attention and definite
action.
There never was and never will be a
better time to act than the present, for, as
the RECORD the other day said,
we have reached point in our history
where it is question whether any fur
ther immigration is desirable; whether
we can receive any more except at the
expense of the native and natural
lied population. We must have
wise, not prejudicial action, TOR
it is now clear that the mass of for
eign immigration comes only to share
our prosperity, not our trials. With a
return of prosperity. then we shall see
the immigrant tide again swell. to inten-
sify the disparity between the demand
for labor ana its supply, which viii in
turn produce adversely.
WHAT TO DO WITH HIM.
I