The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1895-08-10
IMMIGRATION.

During the last two years foreign
immigration has declined, because o
the business depression. On this sub
| ject the New York Sun has the follow
ing:
1.-THE reason for this decline, o
course, was the depression of business
and hence the improvement which ha:
now set in is likely to be followed by {
much greater immigration, which, lef
unchecked, will probably go on in
creasing for the rest of this century
The same causes that augmented immi
grafton during this decade up to the
last year, making It's total far large,
than previously, will continue oper
ative. They are the exactions of mil
itary service in the European countries
and the opportunities offered by pros.
perity here. Without regard to these
influences, prejudice and persecution
have driven hither great numbers oi
Jewish immigrants, of whom a large
part of the diminished total for the
last year was made up. This tendency
of the Jews of Russia and Poland and
of the east of Europe generally cannot
be regarded as wholly desirable for us.
1t is not because they are Jews that
the addition of so many of them to the
population of this country is of ques-
tionable advantage, at least immed-
lately. 1t is because they are so gen.
orally untitled for other labor than
that with which the market is already
overstocked. They also include great
numbers of people who are low in the
scale of civilization. Moreover, they
have been coming hither too fast for
their proper assimilation. But this
tendency Of the Jews to seek this
country, and more especially it's large
cities, is likely to continue until ours
becomes the land where the children
of Israel are the most numerous"
While it may be true that the Rus
sian and Polish Jews who have immi-
sirable class, and "low in the scale OF
civilization, this same affection has
not been felt in other parts of the
country. But is this not true of other
foreigners who seek large cities? The
lower classes can always find their
level in populous city much easier
than in sparsely settled districts, and
we presume the Swedes, French and
other nationalities who make their
homes in the slums of New York or
Chicago would be out Of their element
in smaller communities. These dregs
of European social and political ele-
ments will always seek some place
where they will be at home with the
environments, and for this reason the
large centers of population have al
ways been the breeding nests of an
archy and communism. But the rec
ords of the criminal courts of the
country speak in complimentary terms
of the Jews as law-abiding people.
and they are seldom found in the army
of tramps.
All immigrants are not desirable &C.
cessions to our population; but dis
should be made between those |
who naturally seek life of pilfering
and dissolution in the cutters of New
York to those who go to the country
and make homes. The latter are
among some of our most thrifty and
citizens, and in almost
every western state they have mado |
desirable farms in forests that would |
have remained in their primeval con-
lition had it not been for their indus
~ and perseverance. These assim
late with our institutions. and become
! substantial and intelligent part of |
,very commonwealth.