Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-01
 AM INDEX.

The tide of immigration is an index of the condition of business and labor in this country. We are informed by the commissioner of immigration that the immigrants during the past year num- Der only 25S,536, the smallest number that have arrived in the United States in any one year since 1s79 In 1892 the immigra- tion amounted to 630000 It has seldom fallen below 500.oOO in any year since the close of our civil war. We have seen year after year heretofore coming to our shores enough people to form a pop ulous state each year. Other countries have been compelled to go out into the fields of Africa and Asia to find new con- sumers of their wares They have es- tablshed colonies here and there, with great cost and labor, as customers and patrons of the home market; but here in the United States we have been bring- ing a half million consumers and labor CTS each year to add to our wealth and patronize our manufactures. These peo- pie would not come to the United States if we did not offer superior advantages The cost of living and the opportunity to accumulate comforts must be better here than elsewhere. Nowhere in the world do we find such a rapid increase of wealth and population. Nowhere do we find such liberty regulated by law Mo- where is there such a high standard of business obligation, or devotion to civil, moral and religious duties Sometimes men deery our institutions and our hab- it's. No doubt as a nation we have our failings. We are inclined to blast and buster, but when serious matters are to be considered no people are cooler in their conduct or more considerate in their judgment. We have our political differences, but the country moves along prosperously in spite of the forever im- pending crises We are so great and so strong, and so self-reliant that we rise to the surface no matter how severe the storm and the deluge.
 But to return to the matter of immi- grafton. The New Orleans Picayune says:
 "The steamship companies endeavored to stimulate immigration by reducing their rates, but this had no effect what ever in fact, when there is little promise for work in this country and wages are low, no inducement held out can have the slightest effect in reviving the travel
 in this direction.
 "The report of the commissioner shows that immigration is one of the best means of judging of the business activ- ity or depression of the country. In 1S37 when prosperity was still general, 79OO0 immigrants arrived here; in 1S3S when the times hardened, only 39000 were landed. In 1S45, the times being then favorable to the employment of labor the number of immigrants was 42S,000; In the following year. the conditions hav- ing changed for the worse, the number was only POI, 900. The panic of 1873 had like effect in checking immigration.
 Tn 1892, when business in all lines was positively active, the immigration reached very great proportions, but it has steadily declined with the crisis and depression.
 While the causes which have brought about this decrease in the number of immigrants arriving here will be heard with regret the fact of the decrease will be received with more favor; not that there is any opposition to immigration among those who have given the sub ject serious study, but because the influx has been too rapid. It is difficult for us to Americanize and cement into good citizens the large number of foreigners settling in this country A letup in the immigration will. therefore, do no harm"