The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-20
Church and EMIGRATION
Paper Read by Attorney H. n. Streeter
on That Subject.
THEFLOOD SHOULD BE CHECKED
1t Is Duty the Church owes to the COun.
try and Christian Civilization That
1t Assist in shutting Out the
Undesirable Element.

At the regular meeting Of the Mems
league held at the Penn Avenue Bap-
tist church last evening paper was
read by attorney IL. NJ. Streeter upon
THE Relation of the Church Toward
the Undesirable Emigrant." The tenure
of the paper favored the restriction of
emigration, as ii was contended that
the present class of emigrants to this
country We're undesirable and danger
Gus to the well being of the country.
Formerly the country needed the aid Of
emigrants in II marked degree. but in
the present day. as II result of competi-
tion in all the trades and industries
there had been considerable reduction
in wages, with corresponding decrease
in the demand for unskilled laborers
The motive of emigrants had also
| changed materially; formerly they
poured into this country owing to Il lack
OF liberty in their native land, but now
| they tioCked to the states owing to Il
| lack of bread.
On an average there ware 1000, 900
| people constantly out of work in this
| country and every year there were AGO.
| 600 places to be filled in our productive
! industries; but. as against this, there
We're 100000 applicants added to the
| population annually. leaving each year
an added surplus of 40, 600 to the army of
the unemployed.
What Phillips Brooks said.
In order to emphasize his argument
Mr.. Streeter read the following quota
ton from Rev. Phillips Brooks, ID. d.:
If the world In the great march of
| l., H..
the development of certain national
characteristics, built up by larger
type of manhood here. then. for the
worlds sake, for the sake of those very
nations that would pour in upon US that
which would disturb that development,
We have right to stand guard over it,"
Mr.. Streeter then gave statistics, full
of interest. showing the number of emf
grants from different countries during
the past twenty years, and the number
of unskilled laborers who had sought
these shores, showing that they We're in
a heavy prepOnderance over mechanics
| or skilled arti2ans capable of assisting
in developing the resources of this great
country. Statistics We're also given
showing the appalling percentage of
illiterate persons included in the hordes
of emgrants. From other statistics
given the meeting was convinced that a
considerable proportion of the inmates
of prisons, insane asylums and paupers
Were persons of foreign birth, and that
q relative comparison showed results
| favorable to inmates of native birth,
in number and other respects. Statis-
tics We're also presented showing that
the majority of emigrants We're unac-
companied by their wives and children,
who were left in their native land, until
the emigrant could accumulate some
money to carry back with him to his
own shores, bringing nothing to this
country and taking from of all he could
in the meantime.
| Comments We're also made upon the
large number of strikes and riots caused
by unskiled foreign laborers and spec
ial references We're made to the commu-
nications with the Italian government
regarding the riots in New Orleans.
1t Is Duty They Owe.
The conclusion arrived at in the
paper was that it was a religious and
civil duty which the church owed to the
country and christian civilization to
assist in checking the food of emigra-
ton so that the undesirable element
might be kept out and that attempts
should be made to educate and christian
ize those of that clais already in this
country.
The discussion which followed wholly
endorsed the sentiments expressed by
Mr.. Streeter, and it was decided that II
was advisable to organize free kinder
gartens. night schools, enforce compul-
sorry education and extended Sunday
school mission work for the purpose OF
enlightening and educating the illit-
| nrn q fnraipn nnnnlat ton