The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-12
was as follows:

1897 -. 36.7 SIT
A rise in the ratio of immigration from
eastern and southern Europe from S5 to
51.7 per cent. in seventeen years, and a
fall in the ratio from the western and
northern countries from 615 to 1861 per cent.
in the same period, may well lead US to
pause and inquire whether the change is in
the national interest.
One of the most noticeable incidents in
this remarkable change in the source and
nativity of the immigrants is the marked
addition to our illiterate population. The
decrease in immigration has been from
countries which have hitherto sent us but a
small per cent. OF illiterates, and the in
crease is from countries where the ignor-
ance is greatest. Thirty-nine and nine
tenthS per cent. of those above fourteen
years coming from Austria-Hungary, Italy,
Poland and Russia last year could neither
read nor write, while only 36 per cent. of
those from the United Kingdom, France,
Germany and Scandinavia were illiterate.
When we witness this increase in the il
literate accessions to our population we
may well recall the warning of George VIII
liam Curtis, Let us beware how we water
our Likelihood" Let us not unduly tax our
No one can view this great invasion OF IL
Hteracy without grave concern. We should
address to ourselves the question: What
will be its effect if it continues to flow with
increasing ratio? The countries which sup
ply the greater number Of illiterateS fur
nished less than / per cent of the immi-
grafton in 1869, S.5 per cent. in 1880, and SIT
per cent. in 1897. The undesirable were de-
tered less by panic than the desirable i'm
migrants.
Mr.. Bryce, with rare felicity. observes the
evil which has given rise to the pending
bill: The most conspicuous evidence of
American prosperity" says he, has been
hitherto seen in the high standard of liv-
ing to which the native working classes of
the, North have risen, in the abundance of
their food and the quality of their CLOTH
ing, in the neatness and comforts of their
homes, in the decent orderliness of their
women. The settlers of the last half CEN
fury, though at first far behind the ma
tive Americans in all these respects, have
tended to rise to their level, and except in
a few of the larger cities have, after fifteen
or twenty years., practically adopted Amer
lean standards of comfort. But with the
last decade new SwarmS of European inn
migrants have invaded America, drawn
from their homes in the eastern part of
central Europe by the constant cheapening
of ocean transit and by that more thor
ough drainage, so to speak, of the inland
regions of Europe which is due to the ex-
tension of railways. These immigrants.
lower strata of civilization than the Ger
man immigrants of the past. and, since
they speak foreign tongueS, are less amen
able to American influences. There
seems to be a danger that If they continue
to come in large numbers they may retain
their own low standard of decency and
comfort and menace the continuance among
the working class generally of that far
higher standard which has hitherto pre-
vailed iii all but a few spots in this coun-
try. Already the United States. which
twenty years ago rejoiced in immigration,
begins TO regard II WIN QlSQulel.
A BURDEN ON TAXPAYERS.
A study Of the last census leads to the
conclusion that our foreign population con-
tributes a large number to our almshouses.
penitentiaries, insane asylums and reforma-
tories which would be excluded under the
provisions of the pending bill. There were
in the almshouses, in 1890. 1908 paupers, of
whom 27,64S were f%oreign-born and 1856
xUara nofiUa whites The nafinna Iifu IF Q O0-
whites was undisclosed. The residue
were colored. 1t is thus seen that the for
eign-born whites constituted As per cent.
and the native whites 81 Fer cent. of the
white pauper element whose parentage was
known. The full significance of this is
re al.zed when we bear in mind the disparity
in the respective numbers of our native and
foreign population.
in penitentiaries in the United States at the
eleventh ce 1sus, says that the foreign pop
ulation of this country contributes, directly
or indirectly, in the persons of the foreign
born or of their INN ediate descendants,
very nearly three-ffths of all the paupers
supported in almshouses. This dispropor-
ticn between the two elements in respect Of
the burden of pauperism is even greater
than that in respect of crime"
The exhibit with respect to the criminal
calendar Is equally important. There were
$3.50 white criminals, 2S.25 per cent. of
whom were f~orsign-born and Tie per cent.
were native. But those who were of for
eign birth or foreign parentage. il appears.
committed 57.56 per cent. of the crime.
We may pursue the record further as 10
Juvenile offenders and the insane with sub
~stantially similar results. The foreign ele-
ment is shown to have contributed an I'M
due proportion to each class.
The educational test will have a very di-
rect effect in reducing the number of con-
tributions to the foregoing unfortunate and
Objectionable classes. 1t appears that 20.56
per cent. of the f~Oreign-born criminals and
3o.U per cent. of the foreign-born white
paupers were niterate. a large number of
these could not have secured admission TO
this country under the provisions. OF the
pending bill, and to that extent we would
have been relieved of the burden which
their coming imposed.
The gravitation of undesirable immi-
grants into the large cities and their re-
enforcement Of the slum districts is one of
the pronounced evils. These Stun districts
make their ample contribution 10 the police
courts, the warehouses; and the peaitentia-
ries, and are a burdensome tax upon the
benevoience and thrift Of the community.
They are the notbeds of vice. where Amer
lean customs and Institutions are foreign,
and where in many instances the banner of
the Republic is not the emblem most hon
ored.
IN Baltimore n per cent. of the total slum
population is of foreign birth or parentage:
in Chicago 80 per cent. In New York So per
cent. and in Philadelphia 81 per cent.
1t will be seen that the nationalities which
constitute the larger per cent. of the slum
elements are those from which our least
= - - $3.50