Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-03
They Make Good Citizens.

tablishing new factories. Mr. Lodge thinks
that these men should not have been sent
back.
They Make Good Citizens.
1.-THE Dutch" said the Senator. "are de-
strable immigrants. The Dutch and Danes
and Swedes and Germans are all good ma
terial for making American citizens. We
have the experience of thousand years to
show US that these amalgamate well with
the Enslish-speaking race. In our own
colonial history we have evidence of their
adaptability to local conditions. New Eng
land. Virginia and most of the southern
states were settled by the English. The
Swedes settled on the Delaware and the
Dutch in New York. Then came the Pala-
innate Germans into Pennsylvania and
western North Carolina; then the north of
ireland men and the Scotch-chiehy Ulster
men.
These, with some Huguenots made the
chief constituents of our population during
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.
In the nineteenth century came the great
influx of Irish and the Germans-both peo-
pie who easily became Americanzed. But
in recent years there has been a marked
increase in the immigration of Italians and
Of Russions-and 1t is serious question
whether we can make good Americans of
them Possibly We can in time. But
the conditions In this country are not now
what they were fifty years ago. Then we
had great tracts of land in the west on
ton. Now the country is becoming dense
ly settled. and it is difficult to see what
we can do with all the cheap, unskilled
labor which the old world Is emptying on
us every year.
Still. you cannot exclude a man merely
because he is willing to work for dollar
Gay" I suggested.
NO" said the Senator. NOR can We
draw the race line. 1 investigated the sub
ject of immigration stat.stically in 1890
and I learned then that In the preceding
sixteen years 6.41s.633 immigrants had en-
tered the United States through her sea-
ports-a number equal TO one-tenth Of our
population. Immigration huctuates with
the prosperity of our country. During the
off a great deal. But it will revive with
the revival Of industry. We touched the
high-water mark in prosperous year
1SS2-when 73O,S49 immigrants entered the
country. In 1881 there were 7206
Undesirable Citizens.
"And what percentage of increase has
there been of late?"
Comparing the second half of this six
teen-year period with the first half, I
found that there was a gain of more than
81 per cent And this was in spite of the
decline of Asiatic immigration, due to the
Chinese excursion law. During the period
I Investigated nearly one-haf of the people
who came to this country to live were
classified without occupation'-that is,
they were unskilled labcrers of the lowest
class. The professional men and skilled
laborers amounted to less than IL per cent
of the whole. The remainder was COM
posed of miscellaneous laborers.' Not only
was there an important and possibly dan
gerous increase in the number of immi-
grants. but. as have said. there was
radical change in the character of those
who landed at our seaports.
I'VE first showed our appreciation of the
Importance of this change in the enactment
of the Chinese exclusion law. Everybody
now admits the wisdom Of that law. The
next popular awakening was to the fact
that great numbers of 1aborers were COM
ing here under contract to work for wages
lover than the American workmen re-
ceived Congress then passed the alien
contract labor law, which is sound in prin-
cfple If defective in detail. These We're the
only departures from the original policy of
the United States in the matter of immi-
grafton up to 1890. Since that time we have
had another law intended to restrict i'm
migration to those who are not likely to
become dangerous citizens or who are not
likely to become charge on the state-to
keep out the criminal. the insane and the
pauper
I'VE no longer have the boundless uncul-
tivated territory into which we can send
the newcomer" said the Senator. There
Is no longer lmitless demand for labor at
high rates of wages. 1t is essential to the
welfare of our people and to the preserva-
ton of our system of government that the
rate of wages should be high and the liv-
ing good. Our labor must be protected
from undue competition and our citizenship
from the infusion of an undesirable element
which threatens deterioration.
The Solution Suggested.
There has been of late years a steady
decline in immigration from France (Which
never sent US many ctizens), from Bel
GUM, Holland, Sweden and Great Britain.
The immigration of Poles. Bohemians,
Hungarians, Russians and Italians, on the
other hand, is increasing, and worst of all
Is the increase in the number of Syrians
and Armenians coming to us. These coun-
tries are sending US not alone the ignorant,
but the vicious. AT the time of the killing
of the Italians by a mob at New Orleans,
an Italian newspaper said that there were
galley slaves ct every point on the Atlantic
coast. A special report to the State De-
partment few years ago said that there
was hardly a hamlet in Sweden or Germany
which would not show instances of OBJ
jectionable persons-criminals and paupers
assisted to emigrate to the United States"
What solution of the problem do you
suggest?"
There are two ways of solving It," said
the Senator. Zone is by a per capita tax
on all immigration. This is rough way of
getting at the difficulty. though. The other
is by establishing an education test. Shut
out flliterates, and you narrow down the
immigration list great deal. We of Mas
sachusetts have an education test for
voters. A man cannot register unless he
can read and write, and as test he must
read a paragraph of the Constitution,
printed on a card which is drawn at ran
dom from box of such cards. Until re-
cent years this law was not well enforced.
but now 1t is very generally applied, and
with satisfactory results"
During his stay abroad the Senator told
me- he expects to do nothing but rest. II
shall not attempt to gather any special in
formation" he said. 81 want to get away
from men and affairs fer time. You can
not get perfect rest in your own country.
/ will take my sons with me, and I will be
as free from all thought of public business
as possible"
Notwiths landing this determination, 1t is
probable that the Senator will pick up, in
his wanderings through the old world, a
great deal of information in support Of his
views of certain public questfons-in fact,
the cable already reports him as busy in
vestigating parliamentary methods-and
not unlikely much Of the information he
acquires will apply to the subjects in which
he Is interested so deeply|mmigratio and
the reform of the consular service.
GEORGE GRANTHAM Balm.
Enemies of the Bees.
From the Pail Mali Gazette
One would imagine that wasps and bees
would flourish under the same or very SIM
liar yof Ia tS In reality