The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-31
Can N)T SPEAK ENGLISH.

From the Post Express
The results of one of the most interest
ing of the inquiries made by the eleventh
census have just been Du ublished. 1t Is
that relative to the ability of our people
10 speak English. As il had been in
cluded in no other record, We cannot
study it comparatively. 1t must stand
alone. but il is interesting enough TO do
so. When one learns that the number OF
persons over 10 years of age in the United
States who cannot speak the language
Of the country. is LIS 1876. the statement
Is very astonishing. for ii excludes deaf
mutes and means thai on the average
about one person in every twenty -eght
does not know English. The ratio seems,
too, discouraging at first. And there is
cause for wonder when one adds that
about 10 per cent. are whites, native born
and OF native parentage. Four-tifths are
foreign born, and only per cent. are
native whites of foreign parentage. The
remaining per cent. of the number who
do not speak English are ''colored," which
doubtless means here Chinese and In
dians.
One would hardly have thought that az
many people as are included in the whole
population OF Rochester could have lived
In the country for two generations and yet
not have learned the language. "Where
do they live?" is the natural question.
The statistics show that they are al
most wholly in Louisiana, Pennsylvania,
and New Mexico, and the problem is thus
solved They are proud Scions OF old
races: In Louisiana the French Acadans
with their pretty patois in Pennsylvania
the "Pennsylvania Dutch:'' and in New
Mexico the descendants of the early Span
ish senoIs and senoritas. They are not TO
any extent the hopeless dwellers in the
ghettoes and national Slums of great
cities. In fact. the figures which show
that only 4 Der cent. of all those who do
not speak English are natives Of foreign
parentage, show how futile is the effect
of those immigrant colonies In perpetual
ing foreign tongues and ideas. Young
America cannot be restrained. for that 4
per cent is only u bart OF ! per cent. OF
all the native whites of foreign parentage
In the country. and more than Il third Of
this number are in louisiana, presumably
among the Acadians again.
The figures that give 1.37l,0H as the
number of foreign born whites. who do
not speak English. seem low until one
remembers how many of our foreign born
immigrants come from En- Slish speaking
countries. If one takes ont these. the
number is about one quarter OF all the
whites who were born in some country
where there was another tongue than
English. But perhaps a very little and
very broken English sufiices TO take one
from the number. These non-English
speaking people are scattered mainly
through the northern states, following
generally the stream of immigration.
More than 300 00J of them are In New YORK
state, and some 10000 less are in each
PENNSYLVANIA. Wisconsin. and Illinois.
Probably the mines and Philadelphia, the
German element, and Chicago account re-
spectivcly for these. just as the city OF
New York explains the Empire states
great number, for in that gateway to the
country Is per cent. of the foreign born
cannot speak English. But they have
been over very little while. Probably
majority OF the whole foreign born popu-
alton has come in the last ten years. and
in New York. whence so many hurry
away, perhaps in five; while we know.
from the other fiugres. that. leaving out
Louisiana, only three-tenthS of per cent
Of the children they bear here Will rcach
10 years of age without having learned our
language On the whole. the inquiry Is
thus full of encouragement. Tor IL Is
strong and indubtable statistical PROOF
Of the uuickness with which We Ameri-
canZs our immigrants.