The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-17

III the interest OF humanity Is this imam
StaSndtiOn and decay.
The growth and DEVELOPMENT of our
loved state of Washington in the recent
past aWakens our pride, while a knowledge
OF Its resources and firmly planted free in
situations inspires absolute confidence and
hlgh hope for its future. 1t has every
thing that tends to make a people strong,
prosperous and happy. Few of it's inhabi-
tants were born within it's borders, and its
future progress, welfare and prosperity
must depend largely upon immigration
not merely on its amount. but rather upon
the quality and character of that immi
grafton. Experience ratifes the conclu-
SlonS of common sense that there are for
US, as for other enlightened communities,
divers classes of desirable as well as I'M
desirable immigrants.
1t goes without saying that neither our
nation nor our state can be made dump
ing ground for foreign jails and aims
houses. Our Federal government must
protect US from the incursions of foreign
criminals and pauperS and Servile labor,
and in this demand our intelligent worthy
foreign born citizens join as firmly as do
we who are native born. For our own
state we do not desire immigrants without
visible means of support, tramps, adven-
turers or spectators seeking sudden
wealth regardless of methods used. We do
not want those to come to US whose de-
parture gives more satisfaction to the
communities they leave than their con-
tinued presence.
Yet, in our free country, the voluntary
movement and migration of individuals
ought not and cannot be controlled as in
many foreign lands. To many longing to
better their condition wisdom, foresight
and thrift are not VOuchSafed and their
desire Of change may arise from prior err
rors discouragements and failures. 1t is
not within our power,.nor would it be ex-
Incident. exclude from
We must of necessity receive and harbor
our share of such driftwood of civilization
and in patience and wisdom elevate and in
corporate it as best we may into the struc-
ture of society. We may go further and
say it is not wise to solicit or encourage
immigration Beyond that which can read
lily find employment in the avocations and
! industries to which it is accustomed with
out depriving those who are now here of
work or the opportunity to obtain it.
How, then, shall we define desirable i'm
migration? I have already described one
general class of immigrants that must be
stamped with disapproval, and another
that must be accepted if they come, and
there remains a third class worthy in quail
ity and character to be sought for, solic-
tied and welcomed by us. To define this
class in precise words is difficult for the
definition may prove too broad or too mar
row. We can only deal in generalities; that
we want men of brain and Drawn and en-
terprise; that we want intelligent home
seekers with resources; that we want
those who come to stay and assume with
fidelity their share of the burdens and priv
ileges of good citizenship; that we want
especially producers, those who can make
two blades of grass grow where one grew
before. We may say we need men with
capital, but it is not for us to set limit of
kind or amount, ina:much as one may
have it in skilled brain or hand of greater
ho hn
pocket full of what he knows not how to
use or preserve. We may say that we need
producers Of value, and yet under prop
er conception, the term must include crea-
tors of intellectual and moral worth and
civic stability, as we'll as heWers of wood
and drawers of water.
These three recognizable classes of i'm
migrants merge so gradually into each
other that lines of demarkation cannot
j arbitrarily be drawn. Each individual
case must have divers elements rendering
a forecasting Judgment, sometimes doubt
/ full, but usually reasonably certain I
! would generalize by saying that desirable
/ immigrants are such as to a reasonable de-
/ gree of proba bility will find adaptation to
t environment for the attainment of pros
| perity and happiness for themselves and
/ those dependent upon them, and will prove
| thrifty, self-supporting citizens of our
| commonwealth.
Even within such lines of Limitation be-
| lieve the number of such people now and
! in the near future desiring to better their
| condition by seeking new homes is vastly
| beyond ordinary estimation. Note how
within recent decades millions of Euro
| peans have been quietly seeking settle
ment in Africa, South America and Aus
tralia, in addition to those who have come
| to the United States. Within our own
country the tide of interstate migration
| has ever been westward. In the fayorite
| park of ST. Louis stands Penton's statue
! bearing for it's legend, as his raised arm
| points westward, There lies the East -
| Observation shows that migration in large
degree follows parallels of latitude, as peo-
pie usually prefer and seek the climate to
which they have been accustomed. The
| large percentage of Scandinavians and of
Scotch and of people from Maine, Michi-
| gan, Minnesota and Nebraska now found
| in this state confirms this general theory.
| Again. it is observable that many families
| move twice, once from the East to some
| locality in the middle West and afterwards
to a permanent home still further West.
| Under present conditions of climate, crops.
| floods and depression it is manifest that
the migratory spirit is arising as never be-
fore throughout the middle West, and it is
| probable that it will be from that region a
| large if not main part of our desirable
| immigration is to be obtained.
Men act upon motives. What are the
attractions our state has to offer to those
| of migratory spirit whom we desire? We
have the rich and abourdinp natural re-
sources of field, forest, mine and sea, each
! as vet but partially developed; we have
| opportunities for manufactures and for
| commerce; we have genial, salubrious