Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-03-03
LABOR QUESTION DISCUSSED.

Slackness OF Work Declared Due to the
Business Depression.
"The claim is also made that the in
f1ux Of foreign laborers deprives of the
opportunity to work those who are bet
ter entitled than they to the privilege
of earning their livelihood by daily toll.
An unfortunate condition is certainly
presented when any who are willing to
labor are unemployed. But so far as
this condition now exists among our
people it must be conceded to be a re-
suit of phenomenal business depression
and the stagnation of all enterprises in
which labor is a factor. With the ad-
vent Of settled and wholesome financial
and economic governmental policies,
and a consequent encouragement to the
activity of capital. the misfortune of I'M
employed labor should to a great ex-
tent at least be remedied.
If it continues it's natural conse-
Quences must be to check the further
immigration to our cities Of foreign la
borers and to deplete the ranks of those
already here. In the meantime those
most willing and best fitted ought to be
able to secure the advantages of such
work as there is to do. 1t is proposed
the alleged difficulties Of the situation
by establishing an educational test by
which the right Of a foreigner to make
his home with us shall be determined.
Its general scheme is to prohibit from
admission to our country all immigrants
physically capable and over 16 years
who cannot read and write the English
language or some other language and
it is provided that this test shall be ap-
piled by requiring immigrants seeking
admission to read and afterwards to
write not less than twenty nor more
than twenty-five words Of the constitu-
ton of the United States in some Ian
guage, and that any immigrant failing
in this shall not be admitted but shall
be returned to the country from whence
he came at the expense of the steamship
or railroad company which brought
him.
1.-The best reason that could be given
for this radical restriction Of immigra-
ton is the necessity of protecting our
population against degeneration and
saving our national peace and quiet
from imported turbulence and disorder.
cannot believe that we would be pro-
tected against these evils by limiting
| immigration to those who can read and
write in any language twenty-five
words of our constitution. In my opin-
| ion it is infini, ~ more safe to admit
| 100, 900 immigrants who, though unable
| to read and write, seek among us only
a home and opportunity to work than
| to admit one of those unruly agitators
| and enemies of governmental control
who cannot only read and write. but
| delights in arousing by infiammatory
| speech the illiterate and peacefully in
| clined to discomfort and tumult.
Violence and disorder do not originate
| with illiterate laborers. They are rather
| the victims of the educated agitator
| The ability to read and write as re-
| quired in this bill. in and OF itself. az
fords in my opinion a misleading test of
| contented industry and supplies un-
satisfactory evidence Of desirable citizen
ship or q proper apprehension Of the
benefits Of our institutions. II any par
ticular element Of our illiterate immi-
grafton is to be feared for other causes
than illiteracy these causes should be
dealt with directly, instead Of making
iIliteracy the pretext for exclusion. to
the detriment Of other illiterate immi-
grants against whom the real cause Of
complaint cannot be alleged"
Further along the president takes ~