The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-11-04
LABOR AND FOREIGNERS.

Many of the threatened political trou-
bles, much OF the unrest and apprehen-
sion Of the future by dlhe people of the
United States, together with labor
strifes, are traceable to foreign elements
who make America their home in name
but not In spirit Unquestionably a con-
sensus of opinion Is favorable 10 a re-
stIictive immigration law, at least 10
such an extent as Will shut off Undesira-
BILE elements Among the first questions
which Will be considered by congress
Will be this question of immigration
Senator Lodge has announced that he
viii push his bill, which Is very restrict
i've, a measure having been once en-
dOrsed but vetoed by Cleveland, but a
bill which President Mckinley endorses
Organized labor has become a recog-
nized power in the country, and its de-
mand that barrier must be raised
against the hordes Of eastern Europe,
more especially, viii be needed, class
whose cheap habits Of Ewing and low es-
innate Of patriotism work only harm to
American labor and American institu-
tons The difficulty has been to devise
satisfactory policy which would ad-
NIT the better class while precluding the
other
The Lodge bill Is believed to be the
least Objectionable. Its educational tests
cannot be successfully combatted as ii
shuts out ignorance and the vice which
goes with 1t In support Of his meas
ure, he has compiled some very inter-
esting tables, gathered from official
sources which show what nationalit;es
would be precluded from landing or be-
coming citizens A very small per cent
of Scandinavians, Germans, French or
English would be shut out, while almost
all offering Of Italians, Poles, Hungari-
ans, Russians, etc, would be excluded.
These are the races which have so rapid
ly increased in immigration 10 this
country in the last few years. Few OF
them come west of the Allegheny noun
tains, confining themselves 10 the cities,
factory towns and mines of the east. In
many of the larger cities, however, east
and west they have become burden,
and especially a detriment 10 American
labor. They form communities among
themselves. speak their own language,
snd refuse to assimilate with Americans
or to adopt American customs. When
they participate in politics at all, it is as
a mob or herd whereby they become a
source of apprehension. of the total
population in the slumS Of Baltimore a.
per cent is OF foreign birth or parent
age; in Chicago. 90 per cent: in New
York, 90 per cent. and in Philadelphia.
Of per cent. OF these foreigners nearly
one-half (45.41 per cent?. or every other
person over 10 years old could neither
read nor write. OF the crimes commit
ted in the United States more than one
half t56.Sl per cent? are traceabIe TO the
foreign born clement. Two cut of
every three white inmates Of juvenile
reform2tories in the United States had
both parents foreign born. Very nearly
three~fifthS Of the paupers supported in
almshouses are of foreign birth or par
entage. The races which are the most
iliiterate are shown by statistics 10 fur
nish the highest percentage of GRIMM
as, and the argument is therefore vecy
reasonably made that by shutting out
the illiterate ones, as would be done by
adopting this educational test. the
standard OF future American citizen
ship would be considerably elevated.