The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-08-08
HAVE WE ENOUGH OF EUROPEAN
OVERFLOW?

The RECoRD-UNIoN has repeatedly said
that there is steady growth of the Ameri-
can sentiment which is demanding fur
Their restriction of the input of undesira-
BILE classes into our country. The outrages
in Illinois will serve to the more empha-
size this demand. But while we feel that
ter among American citizens native and
adopted, it is not to be concealed that
there is exceeding timidity in the matter
of taking steps. Literally nothing has
been done except to talk. We have had
this in great plenitude.
But mere protest unfortifsd by action
amounts to little. That we have not the
vigor and courage substructural of all
accomplishment for the good of the
country, is due to the cowardice and sub
serviency of the politicians, and notably
of the political organizations as now
aligned. They are loud in congratulations
and vociferous in expression of senti-
ment, but they so fear the foreign vote,
are so disposed to play for it and avoid
its anger, that they do nothing when,
as candidates representative of party,
they are invested with official au-
thority. There is food for profitable
speculation in the questions, "How long
shall such conditions prevail? How
long will the Americans, the patriotic
souls, the lovers of their country and the
conservators of its liberties, of order,
peace and law, rest content with bel ng
put of? ?" The average politician appears
to have no foar of the American vote. He
entertains no apprehensions concerning
its boycotting his aspirations, but he
grovels in the dust to win the favor of the
vote of so much of the foreign element as
has not breathed in with the air of
America, sincerity of purpose in assum-
ing citizenship, and which accommodates
itself to our conditions only so far as it
serves selfish and ignoble purpose.
The recent outrages in Illinois. in which
band of Italians, most of them as yet
not speaking the English tongue, and the
major portion of whom are aliens, has
decreed who may and who may not work
in a certain community, and in defiance
of law have driven native born citizens
from their homes and confscated their
effects, besides killing and beating their
wives and children, give emphasis and
new value to the recent declaration of the
Massachusetts commission upon the
condition of the unemployed.
That board, composed of citizens of
high capacity, after careful study of the
condition of labor in the United States,
has just submitted report. in which it
declares that its research has led to it s
conviction of this truth: That 1.-THE evil of
non-employment is in a considerable
measure due to irresponsible. ill-advised
and ill-adapted immigration" The COM
mission found that, in the large cities
especially, those most needing help
during the past winter were the most re-
ce0Lly AFIlVeu lulluiRlAuts. ~ dUus tudb
il is simply impossible to introduce any
plan of positive and immediate aid for
the unemployed of this country that does
not mean doing the same for the unem-
ployed of Europe.
Here there is suggestion enough to en-
gage the sober thought Of the wisest and
most patriotic. II simply resolves itself
into this question: Are we prepared to
make our country the almshouse of the
world?" The commission is unquestion-
ably correct in its statement when it de-
clares that under present conditions the
United States is attempting to solve the
question of non-employ ment for Europe
as well as for ITSELF
That which the RECORD UNIoN has
time and again asserted is confirmed by
the report of the commission, namely,
that the larger part of present imnigra-
ton from Europe is not in answer to any
demand for labor, skilled or otherwise.
but represents abnormal conditions in
Europe, due both to Governmental per-
secutions, religious indifference, race
hatred and overorowded populations, all