The record-union., 1898-01-24
RESTRICTING IMMIGRATIoN.
Opinions on the Measure Pending
in Congress-.

The esteemed New York Tribune"
calls attention to new bill for the
limitation of immigration-a bill pro-
Viding for an educational test-and dis
cusses it in this sensible and trenchant
fashion:
Let us clear our minds of can't and
approach discussion of the subject at
least with some degree of fairness.
There is, in our humble opinion, no dam
ger of this country inviting a catastro-
phe by the continuance for another
hundred years-yes, and longer-of the
same liberal policy toward strangers to
Which in a large measure it owes its
present greatness Our great-grand-
Children are not likely to see the day
when IN this country living will have
become unpleasant for want of elbow
room. We may rest easy on that score,
at any rate. So far as the quality OF
the immigration is concerned, which
the pending bill seeks to improve does
the man live who is SO STEPPED in preju-
dice as to assert that he would prefer
small but highly intelligent consign-
ment of Kearneys, of Debses, Of Sow
ereigns and fellows of that kidney to a
miscellaneous cargo of thrifty Germans,
Scandinavians, Scotch, Irish--yes, or
even Bohemians, Hpungarians and
Italians? The kearneys, we have no
doubt, could give these poor people
| cards, spades and little casino and even
then beat them, hands down, at the
game Of reading and writing the Com
stituion; but no power on earth nor any
amount of legislation could induce them
to take a pick or shovel into their
hpndc and arm bajr hrend I1xyo
est days labor. Is it possible that
Congress is serious when it makes not
health, not manhood, not moral worth
the test of a candidacy for American
citizenship but the ability to read or
write twenty-five words of the Consti-
tuition in some Wallachian lingo or in
Hindostanee? Truly, Tt is to laugh"
If we were disposed to contest this
proposition we should find our task be-
set with difficulties. we are not so
disposed, however. The Tribune" is
quite right. Infinitely the worst class
of immigrants who come here from
abroad are the half educated discon-
tented incendiaries and agitators who
have been taught to read at home and
who have just education enough to
make them ill-disposed and dangerous.
i UOL llOiIl the ilifltfdl6 peasant, dC-
customed to hard work and anxious to
adopt some honest occupation, that we
need apprehend mischief and disaster.
1t is from just such persons as the
Tribune describes, who can read and
write a little and can readily pass the
proposed examination, but who come
TO the United States solely for the pur-
pose of spreading anarchistic doctrines.
These are the persons against whom
we should set up barriers. They are
the enemies of society in Europe, and,
as we have been taught by sad expert
ence, they are the enemies of society in
their adopted country. It is not that
they flee from the oppression of des-
potic government and seek in this coun-
try the blessings of free citizenship.
The truth is that they rebel against all
forms of organized society and are ar
rayed against law and order and civil
ization, no matter in what guise they
find them. We need no protection
against the industrious and unlettered
peasantry of Europe. They constitute
the very element most needed in the
development of our vast material re-
sources. The real danger lies in the
pestiferouS product of the European
public SchOolS-the half-educated, Ia
natical disturbers who come here to
conduct an agitation which they cannot
safely or profitably conduct at home.
An educational qualification, for
soothi Why, there is not a crazy, idle,
n1ischievous conspirator to be found IN
any Of the low beer saloons in any slum
throughout the land who could not an
swer pertly enough the catechism pro-
posed in this new immigration bill.
What earthly sense is there in such
test? We are to turn away the simple,
frugal, hard working eountryman be-
cause he cannot read, and let in every
red-mouthed firebrand who can This
is the enlightened and benefcent plan
upon which our immigration business
is to be conducted for the futurel A
wise and useful system, verily!-Wash-
ington Post.