Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-16
Increasing immigration.

| The renewed prosperity of the coun-
try is resulting in a heavy increase of
immigration. which is attracting the
| attention, if not the concern, OF
| thoughtful men. What will be the
| final result? How can the tide be re-
strained and controlled? The influence
of unrestraned immigration upon the
| labor market of the United States has
been very sensibly felt in times past.
but little has been done by Congress to
| check the coming of undesirable ar
rivals from the southern portions Of
| Continental Europe. The problem has
| baffied American statesmen. Little
! has been really attempted toward its
solution beyond prolonged academic
discussion, which ends in inaction. 1t
is possible that time, which has cured
so many public grievances in the past,
may prove the solvent in this case.
A temporary lull of the inflow of inn
migration has been mistaken for per
AiihlltiiAlS NiliIiSId tOilNill4olIS. llt 81
| traction which the republic and its in
situations have for the people of certain
European nations is magnetic at all
times, and when the outlook here is
exceptionally promising and hopeful,
the tide of immigration swellS to enOr-
nous proportions. The process Of
assimilation would be less difficult if
the inflow were equally diffused over
the whole country. Unfortunately, the
South has hitherto received but a small
fraction Of the arriving hosts. despite
the theory that immigrants are prone
to settle in those portions of our coun-
try whose climatic conditions are like
those Of their own habitat in Europe.
Too many of the newcomers remain
in our great Northern cities, contribut-
ing to their further congestion and to
the perpleXities of civic government.
and of the institutions devoted to
philanthropic work. The very notice
able recent increase in arrivals is sug-
costing severe remedies, among others,
that all immigration be suspended for
a term of years. An indiscriminate
prohibition against immigrants from
every foreign country would shut out
desirable accessions to our population.
We have always welcomed the English,
Scotch. Irish, Norwegian, Swedish,
Swiss and the Germanic peoples Of
whatever name. and are indissolubly
joined to them by ties Of kinship, COM
mon aspirations, traditions. etc. The
thrifty French are a demonstrating folk.
and form a very small percentage of
our population. A barrier against all
immigration is. therefore, not to be
thought Of, and an exclusion act, APP
plying to certain countries, as in the
case of the Chinese, is the alternative.
Whether such an exclusion act as
that applying to the Chinese could be
enforced against selected European
countries without serious international
iFictioH Is doubtful. tteldHalOry pro-
ceedings of some sort would be taken
1t is, of course. within the power of
this government to set up the barrier
Would it be expedient to do so? Would
it invite trouble and annoyance great
er than unrestricted immigration it.
self? If the South Atlantic and South
Central states could "assimilate" their
proper ratio Of arrivals. the country
| could receive the yearly great accession
to its population from abroad without
exciting so much concern as to the i'm
migration question.
The census to be taken next year will
show what the numerical relation Of
foreign-born citizens to the native
born is in the various census divisions.
In 1880 the percentage of the foreign
born to the native born citizens stood
as follows: North Atlantic states,
22.34; South Atlantic. 235; North Cen
trail. 1916; South Central, 2.9S; West
7rn, 25.46. For nearly so years past the
percentage of foreign to native born
citizens has been increasing in all parts
of the country save in the South. The
South has missed much in failing to