The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-04-29
THEY MAY STILL COME.


Tor at least a week or two yet. The
judges of the Silver Bow Lyceum de-
bate on the resolution that immigration
should be prohibited decided the ques-
ton last night in the negative. The
debate took place in the High School,
auditorium. Four of the assigned de-
baters failed to show up or the debate
would probably be going on yet. At
torney E. b. Howell presided. and made
brief address on the value of the
training and education derived from o
lyceum or debating society.
James II. Baldwin opened the con-
test with an argument in behalf of the
affirmative. He said that ever since
the discovery of this country there has
been arriving on our shores great
streams of people who flee to this coun-
try to better their conditions and at tho
same time make worse the conditions
Of those here before them. The time
has come when a stop should be made
or soon this country will be on a level
with Europe. The desirable immigrant
canot be separated from the undesira-
BILE, and the only remdy is prohibition
With the paupers of Ireland we also
get the anarchists of Russia and the
vagabonds of London. Paris and Ma
Piles and the outpourings of their pris-
ons. Investigation proves that all our
dens Of vice and iniquity are run by
foreigners. They fill our jails and poor
houses and degrade us morally. social
1y and politically. In the last 10 years
immigration has resulted in lowering
the standard of wages from 80 to 80
per cent. and the American laborers
are crowded out and their places filled
by Poles, Italians, Austrians and Bohe-
mians. Their physical and moral hab-
its are such that no self respecting
American can work with them. This
undesirable class of immigrants is in
creasing yearly while the desirable
class is falling off and the evil cannot
be remedied by legislation.
Miss Martha Arnold opened the de-
bate for the negative and said the
! scheme of prohibition was not practi-
cable. The highest civilization demands
intimate intercourse between nations
The Chinese nation is an example of a
people who prohibited immigration
The Anglo-Saxon race cannot be de-
graded by foreigners, but will assimi-
late other races and the result will be
the Anglo Saxonizing of the world
The fair debater told of the great deeds
the foreigners did in America during
the revolution and rebellion and de-
clared that the American mind, unaid-
ed by foreigners, could not have ac-
complished these things. 1t was the
Americans who wanted to perpetuate
slavery, but largely with the assistance
of the foreign element in the northern
states the rebellion was subdued and
slavery abolished and the scale of CIV
ilization was turned. The real danger
that threatens this country is that
/ which comes from the Capitalization
and power of wealth, and not from the
influence of immigration. Miss Arnold
claimed that the condition of labor
| was improved rather than otherwise
by the foreigners because as a usua.
OBJ lon
than Americans. She also declared thai
the titled foreigners who come to the
country and are introduced into oul
society marry our girls and are apec
by the dudes, do more to degrade the
country than a million of poor immi
grants could.
Ernest Calderhead spoke in favor OF
prohibition and said the majority OF
immigrants were densely ignorant
without knowledge of or sympathy with
the institutions of this country. He
read a number of consular reports or
the character of immigrants, tending
to prove that only the ignorant and
vicious come to this country. The for
eign population, he said, contributes &c
our criminal classes more than the
entire native population. The crimina
belts of the country coincide with the
foreign belt.
o. ]. Saville. for the negative, said
his side of the debate did not favor un.
restricted immigration, but opposed
prohibition. Restriction would remedy
the evils complained of by the affirma.
tive debalters and retain the good
there was in immigration, whilep ro
hibltion would strike out the good anC
evil both and would isolate this country
from the remainder of the world. L
would be against the spirit of the con
stitution and would be impossible tC
- l.. 4.
standing army were put on guard a
the borders of the country. Mr.. Sa
VILE said the foreigners pushed tbs
American workmen up but not out
His condition is improved by foreign
competition. Every class complained
of by the affirmative debaters are al
ready excluded by the law. AS a fac
that immigration is desirable and need
ed, Mr.. Saville referred to the immigra
tion bureaus established in many o
the state whose objects are to encour
age immigration.
]. III. Baldwin had the last word ant
. closed the debate for the affirmative
! by quoting statistics to show tina
, there were more foreigners in our Jail
and poor houses than Americans, al
: though there are four natives to on
: foreigner constituting our population
, Paupers and criminals cannot be ex
: cluded by restriction and the onl.
, means is prohibition.
All the debaters acquitted themselve
very creditably and their argument
displayed considerable thought an
+: study The earnestness and pleasan
: delivery of Miss Arnold was especially
: endorsed by the audience with pro
= longed applause.
: The Judges were j. A. Baker. Mile
. | Cavanaugh and Mr.. Healey. and afte
a short consultation they decided in IA
2 vor of the negative on the points of de
: livery and rhetoric. though several o
them admitted that the affirmative ha
the best of the arguments on facts.
? Besides the debate fhere was som
a excellent vocal and instrumental mu
sic by Miss Oswald. Miss Mae Sulli
D ! van and a male duo.
n BUTTE BRIEFS.