The age-herald., 1898-01-12
IN THE SENATE. :.

IN THE SENATE.
 Washington, Jan. 1.-The senate today briefly discussed an adverse report by the pensions committee on a bill to pension Gen. Meade's two daughters at $10O month each, Chairman Gallinger saying the committee did not wish to enter on the pensioning of daughters of veterans. Senator Allen, of Nebraska, thought that Gen. Meades service justified such liber- ality. No action was taken and after Senator Wolcott, of Colorado, announced speech on the money question for next Monday, Senator Fairbanks addressed the senate on immigra tion:
 No more important question can engage our attention and none should receive more earnest and thoughtful consideration than one which seeks to guard and preserve the high stand of our population and citizen ship. No policy, however venerable, no mere sentimental considerations should dis suade us from dealing with an evil which menaces our civilization and in a manner compatible with the best interests of the country and all its people.
 The pending bill throws an additional safeguard about our population and citizen ship by imposing moderate and reasonable educational test upon all immigrants over sixteen years of age and physically capa- ble. The immigrant must be able to read and write the constitution of the United States in some language before admission An exception is made, however, in the case of a person over 50 years of age, the parent or grandparent of qualified immigrant oh af md wi iS supporting such parent or grandparent.
 A wife or minor child, though unable to read and write may likewise accompany or be sent for to join the husband or parent who is qualified and capable. The closest and strongest ties of kinship thus remain unbroken.
 The absorptive power of our nation has been great and in the main the aliens and the natives have easily fused into a homo genous people. The rapid admixture of foreign bloods here without the impair. ment of our national character has chal- lenged the wonder and admiration of the civilized world.
 Change in Immigration.
 Beginning with the last decade, change occurred in both the nationality and quail ity of immigration.
 Those who were chiefly of the Savonic countries began to come in great and in- creasing numbers. Among them were many very desirable acquisitions; many from the better portions of Italy, Austra-H Hungary and other eastern and southern countries were educated, enterprising and brave, but the larger per cent. was ill-ftted to become a part of our population or to assume the privileges and responsibilities of Ameri- can citizens They possessed low order of intelligence and degraded standard of life, and had no adequate conception of the marvellous significance of our institutions. This fact has awakened the people to the necessity of some protective measure.
 A rise in the ratio of immigration from eastern and southern Europe from S5 to 517 per cent. in seventeen years and a fall in the ratio from the western and north ern countries from 645 to 36.7 per cent in the same period, may well lead us to pause and inquire whether the change is in the national interest.
 Thirty-nine and nine-tenths per cent. of those above IA years of age coming from Austria-Hungary, Italy, Poland and Rus sa last year could neither read nor write while only 3.6 per cent. of those from the United Kingdom, France. Germany and Scandinavia, were -illiterate.
 Statistics of Aims Houses.
 There were in the aims houses in 1890, 73,- 045 paupers, of whom 27,64S were foreign born and ,656 were native whites. It is thus seen that the foreign born whites con- stituted 43 per cent. and the native whites 57 per cent. of the white pauper element.
 There were 57S10 white criminals, 2S.2y per cent of whom were foreign born and 71.75 per cent. were natives. But those of foreign birth or foreign parentage com mitted 57 per cent of the crime
 It appears that 2O.56 per cent. of the for foreign born criminals and 3O.11 per cent. of the foreign born white paupers were H. literate A large number of these could not have secured admission to this country under the provisions of the pending bill.
 In Baltimore 77 per cent. of the total slum population is of foreign birth or parentage; in Chicago 90 per cent; in New York s5 per cent and in Philadelphia 91 per cent.
 No statistics are subtle enough to meas ure the extent of the depression of wages by the increase of the number of wage earners in an already redundant labor mar
  is established by common experience and by numerous specific instances.
 Not the least of the beneficial effects of this measure will be the curtailment of immigratory laborers or "birds of pas sage"
 The evils of immigration have been aug mented by improper methods and infu- ences employed abroad.
 Italy Offering Inducements.
 At the present moment the Italian gov ernment is offering exceptional induce ments to its subjects to emigrate to Amer ica.
 The means and methods adopted for in- creasing oriental immigration are repug nant to our best interests. Paupers once deported have been. assisted by Syrian shopkeepers to return and enter upon Nveo