St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-07-14


guard of people, outside of the Popu-
list party, where it naturally be-
longs, and to which it will hereafter
be relegated.
THE RISE OF THE ILLITERATE.
Merely for statistical purposes the
officers of the immigration bureau
take note whether the immigrant
can read and write or not, and
whether he is a skilled or a common
laborer; that is, one without a trade.
Idiots, paupers, convicts and those
who have been prudent enough to
secure occupation before coming
here, are classed as undesirable and
are turned back. The statistics for
the fiscal year just ended are not
yet accessible; but those for 1898, es-
pecially those figures giving the
number of unskilled and illiterates,
have been made the subject of much
mistaken comment. The facts on
which this is based are that the pro-
portion of skilled to unskilled la
borers immigrating in that year was
as follows from the various coun-
tries: Scotland, 1 in 4; England and
Wales, 1 in 5; Belgium, 1 in I;
France, 1 in 8; Germany and Nor
way, each, 1 in 10; Italy, 1 in IA;
Russia, 1 in IS; Poland, in %, and
Hungary, 1 in 20. Out of
each 100 immigrants from each of
the following countries the number
who could neither read nor write
their native language were: Switzer-
land, 4; Sweden and Norway, 1;
Scotland and Germany, 2; England
and France, 8; Wales and Ireland. Z;
Russia, 26; Austria Hungary, 20;
Poland, 81, and Italy, SO.
We have heard much in recent
years of the necessity of restricting
immigrat ton, and societies have been
formed for that purpose, and labor
organizations have given the matter
more or less attention. The fore
going figures have been cited as an
argument in favor of the movement
The fact that more than half of our
immigrants come from countries
sending both the largest proportion
of unSkilled labor and of illiterates,
is presented as in itself a sufficient
reason; the assumption being that
illiterates and unskilled workingmen
are necessarily an undesirable ele-
ment. For some years apprehension
has been felt that, so far from the
native stock being able to assimilate
the foreign increment, the latter
would absorb the former in itself.
To those who share this apprehen-
sion there is the reflection that there
has been within three years a radi-
cal change of a policy in this coun-
try that was closely related to i'm
migration. Up to 1892 the dominant
policy of the party that had for
thirty years controlled the govern
ment was to protect and foster man
ufactures. The professed end
sought was the identifying of labor
byproviding for it higher wage rate
than obtained in any other country.
The inevitable effect of this policy.
widely advertised over the world.
was to immensely stimulate immi-
grafton from countries where the
wage rate was lower than here, and
especially from those where it was
lowest. This policy met a check
in 1892, and the movement will hence
forth be steadily towards it's COM
plete abandonment. With conditions
normal, immigration will cease to
be abnormal; and with the marked
tendency towards extending the pc
Rod necessary for citizenship, dan
gers from immigration will partially
pass away.
There is an almost universal con-
founding of illiteracy with incapae4
ity, distinction that the most cas-
ual reflection should recognize. The
rise to prominence in many lines of
men of meager education shows that
capacity, however much it NAV be
helped, is not dependent upon educa-
ton. A man who sat on a tailor's
bench, and whose wife taught him
to read and write, became a presi-
dent of these United States. But it
is true that in the contest with his
fellows the unlettered man is handi.
capped, and that the ranks Of those
who perform the mental work of snr
cIety are almost exclusively filed
with men ignorant of letters. 1t is
also a fact, necessary to be car
ried in mind in this connection. that
education makes mental labor dis
tasteful, and inspires those having it
to avoid that kind of work that in
wolves merely the use of Drawn, and
to seek that which calls into use the
brain alone, or in connection with
muscle. 1t must not be overlooked
that the evolution of society has not
yet reached that point where hard
manual labor is needless. bitches
are yet to be dug, and land to be
cleared; railways are yet to be
built and canals dug; coal and ore
must still be mined by hand, and
cities must be scavenged. There is
yet. and must probably ever be, an
immense deal Of heavy lubber-lift-
ing done in order that our economic
principles may be carried on sue