The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1902-09-04

been obliged in their turn to place
themselves under. the protection OF
the laws, their political education
had been perfected in this rude
school and they were more con-
versant with the notions of right
and principles of true freedom
than the greater part OF their
European contemporaries.
The settlers who established them
selves on the shores of New Eng
land all belonged to the more
independent classes Of their native
country. Their union on the soil
of America at once presented a
singular phenomenon of a society
containing neither lords nor COM
mon people, and we may almost
say neither rich nor poor
"These men possessed, in pro-
portion to their number, greater
mass of intelligence than is to be
found in any European nation Of
our own time. All, perhaps with
out single exception, had re-
ceived a good education, and many
of them were known in Europe
for their talents and their acquire
ments."
And this is practically true of
those of century later, with the
possible exception of possessing
the same mother tongue.
To gain some idea 'of the vast
difference: The total number of
illiterate. foreigners who came to
this country last year was 1861
los. Fully one quarter of the en-
tire immigration-in fact more
than one quarter of the entire i'm
migration-were illiterates, over
fourteen years of age. And not
withstanding the educational fa-
cilities in the United States, it is
easy to imagine about how many
after that age will avail themselves
of the opportunities offered. There
are wide, free lands, there is work
and the all powerful American
dollar ahead of them and the Ian
guage is easily picked up. Nearly
half of this great number, not in
Guiding women and children, had
absolutely no occupation. This is
the riffraff, the scum of the earth,
being dumped on our shores, and
we tamely submit. Can we won
der that anarchy, the deadhest foe
Of all existing governments and all
existing things, finds breeding
place here? Here, protected by
the very laws of which they make
a mockery, do they hatch their
diabolical plots and execute them
with a fanatioal disregard of hui
man life and property. One an
archist in the parade of Organized
Labor is a more revolving sight to
the American people than pro-
cession of "scabs' mile long.
The statement is often made
that the recent development Of the
south is due to immigration, but
figures do not bear this out. Of
the total immigration of 1901, but
Ii per cent was destined for set
Element south of the Potomac,
Pennsylvania and Ohio rivers or
west of the Mississippi.
Another item of Importance,
and one which should further in
crease alarm, is in the fact that
immigration from countries in
eastern Europe is increasing each
year, while from those in western
Europe it is diminishing. This is
an important tendency, for only 5
per cent of the numbers Of the
western European races immigrat-
ting to the United States in 1901
were illiterate, while Of the east
ern there were 46 per cent. What
wave Of agitation swept over
this country only a short time ago
at the mere mention of the Chi
nese, and the commendable activ-
ity Of their minister. 1t was
stilled in the time it should be
and in the only way, by proper