Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-14
THE HARDY IMMIGRANT
Senator Nelson Speaks Eloquently for Him
and His Future.
Fine Tribute to the CcIt. the Morse,
the SIav and the
TeutOn.

Mr.. Nelson spoke in the Senate today on
immigration. He said that the darker side
of the immigration question had been pre-
scented, and he would cndeaycr to present
the brighter side of the problem. 1t should
be considered in its economic, political,
social and ethnic features.
Our Own experience" ne said, should
he scanned and studied, for it will furnish
us much information ard many valua bile
lessons. We have been, 10 a large extent
a nation of immigrants, and a large share
of our history is a history of immigration.
The chief factors in our extraordinary
growth and development have been our free
system of government. our abundant supply
of cheap and fertile lands. and the immense
immigration to our shores
Tine great body of newcomers have been
small farmers. small tradeSmen and sgri-
cultural and other unsk;lled laborers Nearly
all OF them have been from the ranks of the
common people-the toiling masses of HUI
manity. People of rank and OF wealth have
little occasion or desire to emierata W.
have needed men TO dig our canals to bald
railroads, 10 open and exploit mines to clear
vast forests. to open, develop and reduce to
a state of cultivation our vast esrause of
untitled land; in short, to perform the Toll
and drudSery, and to bear the trials and
misfortuneS incident to the de, elonment ~
new and unsettled country.
1t appears said Mr.. Nelson. that the
Blood of nearly I1.pa,Gtn of Iiermanic neo-
pie mas been infused into the heart and
loinS of the American people And these
immigrants have not come to these. shores
as their ancestors. the Celts did to Britain
as scourge, as freebooters and pirates
hut they have come on a mission of peace
to participate with us, and to aid us in eyolv-
ing from the great undeveIoped resources
OF this country mighty nation-mighty in
wealth and numbers and, above all mighty
ana noble in the makeup and texture of its
people.
''But while all SC
Germanc races, it is said that people of
other ana inferior races, wholly unit for
American institutions and wholly unfit for
Self-government, flock to our shores And
itusslaAS, roles, HunSarianS and Italians
are cited as samples of these races He
VINO belttles and affects to despise these
races knows little of their history and
ethnic makeup.
1T may be urged that immigration has
oppressed the price of labor. This might
he true if American labor was content to
remain IN the rut of mere labor. But the
ialge influx of foreign labor has led Ameri-
can labor ID seek higher pursuits and moro
profitable caliings. When the American
girl was crowded out of the kitchen and
dltlng room by her foreign born sister she
entered the school room as teacher in.
store as a cashier or saleswoman and tbc
counting house as an accountant or hook
keeper; and when the American boy was
crowded out of the factory the mine and
the rolling mill by his foreign born brother
U
duStry, and sought and assumed higher
calllnss in various directions And the
process has also been going on among the
foreign born themselves
Brute toll and the almighty dollar are
not the chief aims of our existence, All
VINO are fit to survive aspire to a higher
plane OF development And the space above
in the social and economic world results,
in large degree, from the pressure be-
low"
AS to the criminal classes Mr.. Nelson
said: But, finally, the objection comes TO
US that the foreigners furnish an undue
proportion of criminals. This may be true
as TO numbers, but not as to character or
quality. In matters of defalcation and en-
DezZiement in hduciary relations the i'm
migrants are not in the front rank nor do
they excel in shocking and barbarous
crimes. Holmes, Hayward and Durant, the
greatest and most depraved criminals of
our day and generation, are neither immi-
grants nor the sons OF immigrants"
In conclusion, Mr.. Nelson paid a high
tribute to bis own state, which is largely
peopled with foreigners, many of them be-
ing of his own race.