Evening star., 1902-02-19

ness or TINS statement VIII be established
in the mind Of any member of this COM
mittee who will take the trouble to read
the testimony Of the representatives OF
organized labor who appeared before the
Industrial commission. The representatives
Of all the national and International organi-
zations gave testimony on this subject
Without a single exception that 1 now re-
call they said the members Of their unions
were in favor Of restricting immigration.
Some of those chiefs were born In foreign
lands-England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales:
some OF them are the sons Of immigrants;
very few OF them are natives whose Amer
lean lineage runs back through several
generations. So when you hear that this.
that or the other foreign element In our
population Is opposed to restrictive immi-
grafton measures you should exercise some
caution before accepting such statements
1t is barely possible that such sentiments
are promoted by great interests-foreign
interests at that-which would be affected
by such legislation.
: when 1t comes to the method OF re-
strictng immigration, the labor chiefs are
divided. Some favor the educational test,
others a property qualification: a twenty
one years residence is advocated, likewise
a complete restriction of immigration for
a number of years. and 1t is also believed
that a strict enforcement OF the present
laws would give all the needed relief.
The Educational Test.
"And now about the educational test: I
want you to bear In mind that when I use
the word educated I do not necessarily
mean to stretch 1t beyond the limited mean
ing which it has for the educational test
advocates. / believe that 1t would be the
most cruel. the most shameful and. from
our country's standpoint, the most harm
full barrier which America could possibly
put up against any Caucasian people. NO
enlightened American will decry education.
We all know that 1t is q great blessing.
We all know that 1t is the chief cornerstone
Of our Christian civilization. 1t has led the
world out Of the dark ages up to the bright,
golden twentieth century. No language can
be too extravagant in picturing what learn
ing has done for the world, but, flliteracy
is not crime, and II 1t be an evil. 1t IS not
unmixed with much that Is good Who
among you shall say that the foreigner
seeking admission to our shores, who Is
sound in body, Of average moral character.
willing to work, anxious to submit to our
laws and become good citizen. must take
his place with paupers, criminals, the dis
eased and alien contract laborers, and go
back to his native land, simply because he
has been denied the blessing of the rudi-
ments Of an education? Have we place
doubts it? He will work at what his hands
find to do. He is far more willing to take
up with what we call unskilled labor than
his fellow-immigrant who can read and
write.
1.-The blessings Of American education are
taking the American youth away from un-
skilled labor In the discussion Of this
question we hear much about what Massa
chusetts has done for education. All praise
to assachusettS. Her example is glorious
and worthy of emulation; but what Massa-
chusetts boy, graduate of one OF her high
schools. will get out with pick and shovel
and do construction work on her railroads
or tear up the streets Of Boston to make q
sewer or lay a gas main? This immigrant
will do 1t. and gladly, and there is vast
amount Of such work for him to do. The
nf
electricity may go on to such triumphs that
in the end all that will be necessary to
build railroads and construct sewers will be
the pulling Of few levers and the pushing
of few buttons, but that time Is long
distance in the future. and while We have
work of this character to do, We should do
the best we can. The best We can do at
present is to admit assimiIable Caucasian
people who are willing to work and are not
in the Objectionable classes pointed out in
the law
Will Thirst for Learning.
"And If you admit this illiterate immi-
grant it will be a present benefit to the
country and good for the future Of Ameri-
can manhood and womanhood, else the
evidence Of the past cannot be relied upon.
1t is the evidence of the ages that the race
Is forever being nouriShed at the bottom
and forever dying out at the top. 1t Is the
law Of nature This honest illiterate will
thirst for learning, and If possible he will
drink at the fountain of knowledge. In any
event he will have children. For that the
lowly and illiterate are proverbial. 1t is
one of Gods great blessings on the race. II
the father cannot have learning the chill
dren may. and will have it, and II they do
not make the very best use Of 1t. the eN-
perience Of the past is again at fault. All
Of the gentlemen OF this committee know
that the SONS Of such men have been the
pillars Of the state, the captains Of COM
merce and industry, the bright stars OF
and that In short. in every profession and
avocation they work to the front. Their
daughters add strength and beauty to
Americanism. It is safe to say that the
sons and daughters OF such men have al
ways done their full share in working out
the high destiny of their beloved land.
And 1t Is not only the sons Of illiterate i'm
migrants who have ShOne in such striking
contrast to the sources from which they
sprang. Abraham Lincoln's father was
'densely ignorant according to one chron-
icler. At the time Of his marriage he was
unable to read or write. Thanks to his
wifes efforts he learned to write his name
and to laboriously spell his way through a
chapter Of the Bible. President Andrew
johnson never went to school a day in his
life. 1t was while he was a tailor's ap-
prentice that he learned to read. After
marriage his wife taught him to write
and cipher 1t Is therefore more than prob
able that he was the son of illiterate par
ents. President Jackson's father, who was
an Irish Immigrant may not have been an
illiterate, but he did not give his son much
OF an education. The boy learned to read,
to write. to cast up accounts-little more
dare say every member Of this committee
knows many instances OF the sons OF illit-
crate immigrants working their way from
poverty through education and industry
to the front ranks In every walk Of life
Can anyone Of you be induced to put any
impediment in the way OF this rich nourisf-
ment to our national life?
"It has been said that illiteracy is a cause
Of drunkenness 1t may be true but who
can look about him and truthfully avouch
It? Think II you will Of the men Of whom
you have knowledge who are drunkards
and answer II the literates do not outnum-
Der the Nliterates many fold. The illiterate
immigrant who comes to our shores for
work does not have much time for drunken
ness-at least not 30 much as the average
nterate.
Not q Cause OF Crime.
''Then We hear that nliteracy 10 one OF
the great causes of crime. n that true9