Evening journal., 1901-12-05
REsrRICT IMMIGRATION

RESTRICT I'M IMMIGRATION
The present Congress will undoubt-
edly be called upon to consider some
measure looking to n further restric-
tion of immigration. The favored
method Of keeping out undesirable for
eigners seems TO be an educational
test and the lines of the Lodge bill
which went to its death under Presi-
dent Cleyeland's veto. will undoubted-
" be followed The sentiment in
favor OF further restriction has grown
since the assassination OF President
Mckinley. for while the criminal was
American born. yet the impulse which
fired his brain was alien to our insti-
tutions. and his parentage was for
eign.
There can be no opposition TO immi-
grafton as such, since II has made
great nations. and, under proper con-
ditions. has infused a beneficial ele-
ment. But there is a class Of immi-
grafton that is not desirable. and IL
is against this that the act will be
framed. II is a problem difficult of
solution. since the absolute Qualiiica-
tions Of each person for entry cannot
be discovered. and the potentialities
In no instance may be foreseen. Yet
there are certain o,nssifcations under
which the good may be determined
from the bad. Il will not be denied
that by shutting out the ignorant man
Of industry and allowing the educated
criminals to enter we are not improv-
ing upon present conditions. But as
a class the ignorant are undesirable
and by eliminating them there is SC
.riffch accomplished
immigration built this country
Aliens cleared the forests and laid the
foundations of our present prosperity
but they We're of the best people OF tn,
world. coming. generally speaking
from the peoples Of Northern Europe
In recent years all this has beer
changed, and we are receiving immi-
grants at the rate Of nearly half mil
lion a year. and few of these are usu-
ally desirable While a person has
the righu to expatriate himself, YET
there is no obligation resting uopn ma.
tion 20 receive him. In theory this Gov
ernment is a union composed of ele
ments Of equal power Yet we canno
permanently maintain a union out o
warning and repugnant materials
From Southern Italy alone we are re
ceiving $4,000 immigrants annually
and the Poles and Slavs furnish to
gether almost as many more. o
course we are not sufficiently marrow
as to shut our doors upon these peopl
because of their nationality, but whel
We are receiving largely the YER
worst specimens of their races, tn
time for action has arrived. or all tn
English immigrants but little owe
one per cent. cannot read and writ,
The percentage is not very differen
for all the nations of Northern Ecu
rope. While this shows no cause fo
alarm yet There are races sending u
immigrants sixty per cent of whol
have not the least rudiments of edl
cation
When it is remembered that III
average wealth brought in by the I'm
migrants is SIS. and that as cons
duence thousands thrown upon the
resources in strange land becon
either paupers or criminals. the reasC
for action will be apparent Certat
immigrants, like those from Irelan
and Germany. come here to stay: tn,
become American citizens, imbu,
with the spirit of our institutions, b
there are others whose only desire
TO accumulate a few hundred dolla
in order TO take it back to the count
from whence they came Our lab
cannot compete with that of perso
who can live on a few cents a ds
whether it comes from China OF TIA