The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-03-09


however, has occasion to cast stones
at his fellow because he is foreign
born. Since if we go back far enough
it is easy to prove that every soul of
us hath foreign blood in his veins.
As to where a man was born or of
what nation is he, is never a point OF
honor or disgrace-but, what, as a
man, is hes-that is the all-important
question. Treat him for exactly what
he is, not for the natal or chemical
qualities of his blood. To do other
wise is as meaningless, as senseless
as to measure men morally by their
exact weight in pounds and ounces,
and their length in ellis and inches.
Emigration.
Now it came to pass in all of our
modern emigrations that we have not
had a moral average of the countries
from which they came. And we have
had deluge of it. We have the
greatest per cent of foreign born peo-
pie of any nation on the globe. 1t is
fifteen per cent of our population.
Great Britain and Ireland combined
have not one per cent.-no, not the
half of one per cent. Germany has
not one per cent. of foreigners-nor
Russia, nor Spain, nor Sweden, nor
Austria. Even France, sunny and
beautiful France, has less than three
per cent. of foreign born population.
Historic and classic Italy only one
per cent.
But fifteen per cent. of foreign born
population is by no means the meas
ure of our misfortune. Fifteen per
cent. proportionately distributed over
the entire surface of population might
be politically assimilated without
mischief. But it is calamitously true
that the dregs of this mass of foreign
ers, amounting to 100000, the most
ignorant, most vicious, most anarchis-
tic, the readiest tools of insidious and
crafty demagogues, live in our cities
and lesser centers of population.
And still another calamity. The
percentage of population who live in
cities has regular and alarming in
crease. I may well say alarming in
crease" since it is an increase by the
exodus of the better elements into
the suburbs, and greatly preponder-
ating influx of the worst and most
dangerous elements into the cities.
Any great American city may well
cry out, as it was written of the
daughter of Leonato,-"O she is fall
len into pit of ink that the wide sea
hath drops too few to wash her clean
again! And salt too little, which may
season give to her foul, tainted fesh!"
Another trouble. These worst ele-
ments of the city comprise very
largely the idle elements of the city.
Their schools of politics are the low
GROCERIES and saloons. Their school
masters are the keepers. And politics
and liquor make the most damnable
decoction that ever crazed and ruined
nation. II there be any scheme of
villainy that isn't Matched there, it is
because Satan has been caught nap
ping while hid behind the bars. The
frowsy holes and musty saloons are
the parade grounds of the politicians
ceaseless drill for votes. There the
worst men are educated, armed and
equipped to nullify the political
rights of their betters-to cry their
sickening huzzas of victory over the
industrious sons of toll who bear the
burdens of the land. While good
men work and sleep, bad men corrupt
the nation. And there is to be no
end of their designs and schemes
while the world stands. The wicked
can endure bottomless want of
sleep.
Increase of Urban Dangers.
Neither should we be blind to the
steady and alarming increase of these
dangers. A hundred years ago less
than three and half per cent. of our
population lived in the cities. Fifty
years ago ten per cent. of our popula-
ton lived in cities. Five years ago
more than twenty nine per cent. lived
in our cities. Today almost one
third of them so live. And the per-
centage of ignorance and vice in
creases, because the thrifty and vir-
tuous move out, and the vicious fill
their places. Be not blind to the
handwriting on the wall, neither to
the figures on the wall. The natural
drifts of humanity in free republic
the risings and sediments = the
combinations and disintegrations-
the fellowships and antipathies, no
man can prevent. AS we'll prevent
the rise and flood of great American
rivers. AS well prevent their natural
silt from drifting into the indenta-
tiOns Of their hottoma aa tn keen the