The record-union., 1896-03-26
OF IMMIGRATION.

Senator Lodge made a brilliant speech
in the Senate the other day in support
of the proposition to restrict immigra-
tion into America with a view Of de-
barring the undesirable classes from
entry. He believes that the time has
come when we must close our gates
against the classes whose habits,
thought and beliefs tend to make them
antagonistic to the American system,
or who, by reason or ignorance, are Ha-
rascals plotting the overthrow of the
republic, under the specious plea of re-
form. For entertaining such beliefs,
Chicago permitted her anarchists to
burn him in effigy.
The Baltimore ''Sun" says:
The House committee is evidently Of
the same mind as Mr.. Lodge, for it has
decided to report two amendments to
the immigration laws-one that every
immigrant shall have a certificate from
an agent of his own Government, and
the other requiring the ability to read
and write as a prerequisite to admis-
sion to the United States In his speech
Mr.. Lodge made a strong argument in
favor of the educational qualification
He declares that we have now reached
the point when we must admit that the
continued invasioF Of this country by
people whom we cannot assimiIate is a
real danger. There is no suspicion of
know nothingism" in such a claim.
nd %oNT
osition that we have the moral as well
as the legal right to prevent a hetero-
geneous mass of illiteracy from being
dumped upon our shores. Mr.. Lodge
made this point perfectly clear, and a.
proper discrimination against those eIe-
ments which we have reason to believe
dangerous to our institutions and to our
welfare as nation is not only justi-
fable, but even imperativeIy necessary.
OF course there is nothing Of know
nothingism in this matter, yet it will
not escape the application Of the stig-
ma. But whoever is patriotic and pro-
gressive, and whoever does or proposes
something for his native land a little
more advanced than usual, must expect
martyrdom, punishment or reproach.
All that the American League for the
Restriction Of immigration asks is that
the material which is hereafter to come
to US shall be reasonably clean, reason
ably intelligent, and, within reason.
able to take care of itself. 1t is not even
required, as should be done, that the
newcomer shall be sincerely or at all
attached to our institutions, and hon
estly desirous of assisting us to promote
republican forms Of government.
There are just twenty reasons why
immigration should be more closely re-
stricted and hedged about with guards: !:
to present them In full will to much
extend this ARTICLE, but in brief these
are some Of the most forcible: ID Be-
cause present laws are ineffective to
keep out criminals, paupers and other
undesirabaes. (2.) Because it Is to the
interest of foreign Governments to work
off upon us the scum of their countries.
(B) Because American character and
intelligence are Of more value than
American wealth, or the coin or goods
which the immigrant may add TO or de-
vslop by industry. a. Because, while
immigration has steadily increased in
quantity of late years, it has Just as
steadily declined in quality. (5.) Be-
cause in the earlier history of inrnigra-
ton 1t was the picked men, the men of
courage. some means and Of weu-de-
fined and usually high purpose who set
out for the new land" Now, low rates.
swift movement and other influences
and conditions have enabled the GRIM
inals, pauDers and lawless and revolu-
tionary to come. Co. Because of the
fact that Of ell of our insane the foreign
element furnishes one-third, and of all
CUR paupers II furnishes nearly half.
while the foreign-born population rep
resents but 14.77 per cent OF the total.
CO Because 1t is to the highest. best
interest of honest labor, of skilled and
unskiued workers. of honest American
artisans and craftsmen Of all kinds. that
none be brought In to compete with
them, or to enter their followings. but
such as are able. clean. peaceable, as
piring; respecting American institu-
tions and anxious TO come to love them,
and expecting and desiring to become
Americans. 81 Because it is shown
by the official statistics that Of recent
immigration the larger number of i'm
migrants are without any occupation.
Thus, IN 1892. of the total immigrants
for that year, S7.4 per cent, or 439. Ill
we're Without occupation or were labor