The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-14
FOREIGN IMMIGRATION AND ILLIT-
ERACY.

The figures presented in the annual report
of Commissioner Powderly, of the Immgra-
ton Bureau, indicate good organization for
obtaining statistics and disclose some in
teresting facts regarding the extent and
character of our foreign immigration at the
present time. Mr.. Powderly was appointed
commissioner of immigration by President
Mckinley July Il. 1897. The Senate failed to
confirm the appointment, and during the re-
cess of Congress the President reappointed
him. He is acting under the old law, known
as the Owen law, passed in 1891, the bill
having been introduced in Congress by Hon.
w. d. Owen. of this State. Efforts have
been made since then to enact more
stringent law, but thus far they have not
been successful. A strong bill on the sub
ject was passed near the close of the Fifty
fourth Congress, but President Cleveland
vetoed it March 2, 1897. The House passed
it over the veto, but as only one day of the
session remained the Senate took no further
action. Immediately on the assembling of
the present Congress i'm special session, in
March, 1897, Senator Lodge introduced a
new bill, substantially the same as the
former Senate bill, with some additional
features, including one subjectng all for
eign immigrants to the test of ability to
read or write and other provisions tending
to the restriction of immigration. Senator
Fairbanks, who is now chairman of the
Senate committee on immigration, made a
strong speech in favor of this bill. 1t
passed the Senate last Jan. II, but has not
yet passed the House.
The statistics presented by Commissioner
Powderly show the need of further restric-
tions on foreign immigration. His report
shows that during the fiscal year ending
June 80. 1898, there arrived in the United
States 229. 299 foreign immigrants, of whom
1,416 of those above fourteen years of age
could not write and 1867 could neither read
nor write. There are already too many per-
sons in the United States who cannot read
or write, and the number should not be arti-
ficially increased by immigration. Under
the present law there is no bar against il
literates but the figures quoted above show
there should be. One may conjecture from
whence these illiterate immigrants come,
arrivals during the year of 229 299 persons
5S,e1S came from Italy. 27,225 from Russia
proper ., 12S from Ireland, i'll from Ger
many, 1863 from Hungary. 12420 from
Galicia and Burkowina i'm Austria Hungary.
Il 1893 from Sweden and 9,S77 from England.
1t is probable the illiterate immigrants were
also the most undesirable in other respects.
Every country has right to establish its
own rules of citizenship and immigration.
Under our laws foreign immigrant who
cannot read or write can become a voter in
one year after arriving in the country.
Both the immigration and the naturalization
laws should be made more stringent. The
statistics show that during the last thirty
fallen off, while that which is undesirable
has increased. From 1869 to 1897 the total
number of immigrants from Great Britain,
France, Germany and Scandinavia de-
creased from 26O,0SS to S4792, while the inn
| migrants from Austria Hungary. Italy, Po-
| land and Russia increased from 3.5l5 to 49,
| ST. Prior to 1870 70 per cent. of all inn
migrants came from Great Britain, Ger
many, France and Scandinavia In 1880 only
| 60 per cent. came from those countries. and
in 1896 and 1897 only 40 per cent. From 1880
| to 1897 the immigration from western and
northern Europe. which may be called de-
sirable. fell from "a per cent. of the whole
to SO per cent. while that from eastern and