Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-27
UNDEsTRAnLr IaIsTIonATIoN.

The time has passed when the
United States can AFFORD to keep It's
gates open 20 an indlscriminate immi-
grafton from foreign lands. and the
present laws should he amended 50
that only the best ciass.of immigrants
viii be permitted to land ON our
shores. For years the riff-raff and
scun. the criminals and paupers OF Eu-
ropean nations have fiocked thither un-
III we have In this country one foreign
born citizen 10 every third person. 1t
IS not Of the millions of thrifty i'm
migrants who have settled here. have
built homes and become patriotic
American citizens, that we speak, but
the criminals and paupers who should
be excluded. National laws looking to
this have already been enacted. but
there is yet too much elasticity in our
immigration regulations. 1t is by no
means a political question, and advo-
Gates Of stringent measures are to be
found in all political parties. The Sec
ond edition OF the present aspect Of
the Immigration Problem. Just issued.
has given TO the public much valuable
Information on this question. It says
that according to the census OF 1850 the
forelgn-born element In the United
States. although constituting less than
one-aeventh OF our population. fur
nlshed more than one-thlrd of the pau
pers. The census OF 1880 shows that
persons Of foreign birth and parentago
make up IS per cent Of our total white
population. The same authority SAYS
that this one-thlrd furnishes more than
one-half Of our criminals, about two
thirds Of the inmates OF our roforma-
tories and about two-thirds Of the
paupers OF our almshouses.
Speaking Of emigration the sarne au-
thor says: 'rho large emigration or
recent Immigrants, which has been no
genorally commented on lately. needs
some mention. for many peopt- raepose
that If there Is as much emigration as
Immigration the whole problem Of i'm
migration is settled. Anyone who
thinks over the mater at all seriously
must sne that the fact that some thous-
ands OF foreigners are now leaving this
country does not alter In the slightest
degree the question OF allowing unde-
slrable immigrants to land. The pres
ont emigration ia caused by the finan-
cial depression. Thousands OF people.
finding 1t Impossible TO obtain work.
have gone back to their own countries
to await the return OF b4ttar tlmos
here. They announce their Intention
Of returning to the United States as
soon 0s the financial prospects bright
en-. The extremely low rates OF steer
ago passage TO Europe have undoubt-
edly been the cause Of n large part
OF this exodus. In connection with
this emigration II should be distinctly
noted that the majority OF those who
have gone back have been OF the bet
ter class of recent Immigrants, so that
we have really gained very little by the
outflow"
There have been several plans sug-
gested to reform tho laws and stop
this undesirable immigration. but 1t APP
pears TO the Gazette that the most
sensible and feasible measure yet pro-
posed IS In the form OF an educational
provision, Not that the immigrant be
able to speak the Enslish language,
but that he be capable Of reading and
writing the language OF his native
country. Such regulations, surrounded
by other Safeguards, appear to be in
the natura OF what is needed