Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-05

the foreign born citizens. or those of for
eign parentage, furnish more p~enitentiary
convicts than are supplied by the entire
native born population, which, of course,
greatly outnumberS the population of for
eign birth. In the immigration of late
years we note also the appearance of Sc
cret societies dangerous To law and or
der and hostile to every theory of Ameri-
can institutions.
According to statistics in 1880 the for
eign born element constituted one-sev-
enth of this country'S population and one
third of its pauperS. The census of 1890
showed that people of foreign birth made
up 80 per cent of the total white pODula-
ton. This one-third of the population
furnished one-half of the criminals. two
thirds of the inmates of ~reformatories
and two-thirds of the paupers in aims
houses.
Later statistics show that in every 100
foreigners over Is years of age who came
to the United States between March and
November. 1892, the illitcrates were di-
vided rs follows: Italy, 66; Poland. Sc;
Hungary. IS; Russia, proper, 20; England.
10; Ireland, s.; Wales, 6; Germany, .:
Scandinavian countries and Denmark,
less than /. Of the 440, 1913 foreigners
who came to this country in the year end
ell June 80, 1893, 1887 over 16 years
Of age could not read, 59,5S2 could not
write, and 81 ,03S could do neither. Sen
ator Lodge pointed to these figures to
show that if an educational test had been
applied during that year, the large num-
Der of the least desirable foreigners would
have been excluded from the country.
Tho rpora N fIrprb+frI -.
ines the statistics relating TO this cues
ton, he continued, the more he must be
alarmed at what it shows. The disease.
in my opinion. cannot be treated by gen
tie palliatives. II will require sbarp
remedies. and the lon@er a cure is post
poned the more heroic the remedies will
have to be. | believe we need intelligent
and discriminating restriction. We must
sift the chaff from the wheat. Immi.
grants should know how to read and write
their own language before they are allow
ed TO enter the United States. This is 4
fair test. based upon intelligence and
not upon money.
Going back rapidly over the history Of
immigration, Senator Lodge said that be-
fore 1870 no record was kept. but that
probably 100000 immigrants came to the
United States between the close of the
revolution and that time. From 1920 TO
1890, inclusive. the number of immigrants
reached l6,49I ,O96. The majority of
these came from Great Britain. Ireland.
Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
The quality of immigrants was high until
the last few years:
= In the fiscal year ended June 30, 1890.
400, 800 immigrants came to the United
States; in the next fiscal year, 500 19;
in the next, 519,663, and in the fiscal year
ended in 1899 the number was 44O. 1913.
There was a decrease in the latter year
because quarantine regulations during
the winter of 1S93-34 practically stopped
immigration.
The majority Of undesirable immigrants
were divided for the -four years in nation
alities as follows: Austria Hungary, &c.
100 in 1890, 1902 in 1891, 76,937 in
1892, 57,420 in 1893: Russia and Poland.
46,611 in 1890, 1923 in 1891, 22,O47 in
1892, 5S,6S4 in 1893; Italy, 52.OO3 in 1890,
76,055 in 1891, 81 ,G31 in 1892, 72,145 in
1893.
We have now before us race problems
which are sufficient to tax to the utmost
the fortunate conditions with which ma
ture has blessed us and the highest wis
dom of which our public men are capable.
] do not, for one, desire to see these race
problems multiplied or complicated. / do
not want to see the quality of American
citizenship decline beneath the effects of
IN unrestricted immigra ZION and / am