The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1897-10-05
powDERLY ON IMMIGRATION

at liz
v powderly, in favor Of a law that
could keep out immigrants, has much
IN II Of good sense The times nave
nh sna<si since the fathers welcomed all
b. mis- land of the free and home of the
,rora and the necessity of keeping out
tho swarm Of i%literates and anarchists
- pressing. Mr.. Powderly writes:
Il shall do everything IN my power 10
aoot the expectations Of the American
but it will be a difficult TASK,
Nm. to the ~inadequacy Of existing I'M
migration laws. L have no doupt lnat
+bnneands Of the worst classes of Europe
~ sucDt in upon us every year. Lately
+hov have taken their route from Europe
N the United States by way of Canaoa
"a are coming across the frontier.
or shall be my aim to keep evry IN
worthy person out, and to cause Europe
"a toxic care of Der own Anarchists. Inc
oId saws. America is the asylum or the
opnressed.' The refuge or the natiohs'
and little favor in my eyes. There was d
t;ma when the oppressed could come
witbout expressing others, when the
rTrital States could afford a refuge TO the
naople Of the Old World; but that was
bafore the on-comers became oppresSors,
and when the tide Of immigration to this
nountry was not a tide Of refuse.
at is not bigotry, race hatred or selfish
rass which prompts me to write mus,
The son Of an immigrant myself, L could
1T consistently oppose others. Inc con-
a5-iops which faced my father Wheh ne
came 1tne United States IN $50 dlheleo
vv(~nnch from those that face the I'M
Mt of 1897. Water, when 1t mols-
-, " unIannp' IT
W life and strengthens life; but,
as it did at Johnston, 1t de-
..fe.
We asSimilate, can we American
the vast horde of immigrants that
< dumped upon US? No prophet voice
need tell us what the future has III store
for the United States if we permit an
unchecked stream unsifted immigrants
to flow in upon us. If they are opposed
at home let them dethrone their oppres~
at home let them dethrone their oppres-
sors there and establish governments Of
the rc"ulc. for the people and by the
ueor.,. .eros~ the Atlantic.
III anarchists are born and bred be
upala ttn fostering wing of IlI-goVernad
lands. let the" "emain at home to Wreak
vengcance upon their creators, instead
Of coming here to turn the thoughts OF
dissatisfied men from the real cause OF
their dissatisfaction. The Anarchist does
not hate the King or Emperor any more
than he does a President or Governor
What he strikes at is authority, anc
authority vested by the people in a Pres
ident or Governor is as distasteful to hln
as authority vested by divine right II
Kiug or an Emperor.
SOW naturalization laws are too lax
and We stand in danger of being vote
out Of existence. | have seen, 4 $
have you no doubt, men standing at N
polling booths who could nos reuG .
write, clothed il the mantle of Amer
lcan citizenship, which they rated II
higher than any other serviIe act whic
they might perform for hire. Ihe word
/ am an American citizen have Il
meaning for them. They are voters be
cause some degenerate American in nee
of a vote corralled and brought the1
into a court of justice. They are citizen
because they have an idea that, som'
how or other, it will enable them to max
more money. They are aliens at near
and they will not do a single thing
uplift the standard of citizenship.
IL was asked by a Senator in Washin:
ton the other day if l did not think thu
aliens should be here p years before b.
ing naturalized. My answer was, No.
would not confer citizenship at the en-
of p years or 121 years, if the appican
does not pass the examination. A ma
applies for naturalization, and with
goes the right to vote. If he votes NO
wisely or we'll, his act may foster TIL
rule of a dishonest rogue upon the eleC
torate.
eff it is necessary that the applican
for office pass a civil service eXamina
ton, it is more than necessary hat tn
aspirant for citizenship pass an exam
~ination. The applicant for office accept
a minor position. The aspirant for cit
Aenship elects the appointing power.
II contend that five years time i
little cough in which to learn what tn
genius OF our institutions stands fOl
But If a man at the end of five year
can read and write the English language
90 into the polling booth free from th
scrutiny Of any other eye and with hi
own hand, u~nintiuenced by any othe
hand, mark his own ballot; if he ca
give an intelligent answer to the ques
tons. What caused the writing Of TIL
American Declaration of Independence!
What caused the Revolutionary Wa
by which the colonies were freed from
foreign rule!' In what respect do tn
Constitution and form Of government o
the United States differ from Othe
landst' let him register his ballot as a.
American freeman.
But, unless he can do these things,
% or 125 years."