Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1901-09-20
RESTRICT IMMIGRATION


II has long been the boast of the
American people that their hosptable
shores extend a full welcome to the
down-trcdden and oppressed Of the
earth. The press has extolled our lib
crafty and generosity. and countless
platforms and political addresses have
set forth the glories of our system. We
have been acting literally upon the
theory that all men are created equal,
and with an apparent belief that by
"a process of assimilation all foreign
materials may be wrought into good
citizenship. IL has been a beautiful
theory, and especially acceptable in a
republic such as ours. with marvellous
development and sublime confidence.
In the last quarter century however.
we have reluctantly reached the concu-
sion that the theory has it's limitations
In practice Possibly through a
course of time there is no blood that
by the alchemy Of our institutions can
not be transformed into the American
type, but what is to be the effect in
the intermediate stages while the
Transformation is taking place? Time
may perform wonders. but in the in
terval great injury may be sustained.
It may take centuries TO transform
the blood Of anarchistic tendencies
into that which is animated by the
love Of free institutions OF liberty and
law. But in the meantime It has
flowed into devious channels, poison
ing another generation. It is not so
much the first generation we fear
since by habit and custom they are set
apart from our citizens, and are, there
fore, under close observation. 1t is
when in another generation their Off
spring are transformed into American
citizens with all the rights and prlvi-
leges Of such, yet being still under the
sway OF the influences of the alien
blood Of their fathers. that we need
lto be apprehensive.
Experience has shown that people Of
certain races quickly become good
citizens, American in spirit to the
core Such experience has proved to
be true of the German. the Irish,
Scotch and English; but OF many other
strains Of blood it is not true. A Ger
man or an lrishman prizes his citizen
ship above all else. lie enters into
tho spirit Of his community. and in
the second generation there is nothing
to mark his derivation. General,
speaking. 1t is not SO with the Italian
The Pole or the Chinaman. These have
their own settlements, their secret or
ders, and regard America, not as a
permanent home. but as temporary
place Of abode wherein to make
money.
An admiXture of races makes a virile
people, but these elements must pos
sess. each, a certain merit. You can
not join thieves, assasslns. imbeciles
and degenerates, and get as result
enlightened God-fearing citizens. OF
course no race is composed exclusive
ly Of those types, but in illustration an
extreme test proves the point. Rome
was once the asylum for all the op-
pressed and disconnected Of the earth
but in time the barbarian hordes
swarming from the ends OF the earth
weakened her virtue and destroyed
her government. There is a warning
20 America in her example. An admix-
twe of blood is desirable, burt with
governments, like families, it must b,
good blood, or, at least not depraved.
We boast that from many sources W,
have taken the people to make oul
Union; but we should not forget tina
all the carly elements were kindred in
race and ideas. while at the prescn
moment our immigration Representa-
ALLEN races, which have behind then
centuries ci ideals which, according Il
our standards, are perverted Yol
cannot mix oil and water. You canno
form a union out of ropugnant mate
rails. 1t is surely time that we ap
prociated the real truth about this sub
ject and cast aside sentimental, bu
unwauanted, conclusions.