The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-12-02

weight upon the progress of the
nation.
It is particularly unfortunate that
many thousands are swarming from
Italy, from the Levant, and from
countries which do not supply the
material out Of which the best Ameri-
can citizenship is made There are
exceptions, Of course, in all cases, but
the great majority of these new COM
ers do not understand our institutions,
arc not in sympathy with real liberty,
and are almost incapable Of being ANAL
gamatcd in tho general population.
1t will take them two or three gen.
erations to learn to speak our lar
guago, and in the meanwhile they are
grouped together, alien in thought
and weakness in the politics of the
communities in which they live.
1t is, of course, unjust to impuse
bad morals and criminal tendencies to
even large percentage Of these i'm
migrants. AS a matter Of fact the
positively dangerous characters are
comparatively few The new reforms
that have been made in immigration
laws keep out many who would like to
come. Still, there is the ever con-
stant fear of assaesins, dynamiters,
and counterfeiters, and the other kinds
Of lawbreakers who are distinctively
unAmerican.
1t all imposes upon Congress the
duty of a stricter guard over imm;-
grafton and Of q more complete watch
fulness over tho criminals of the
world, in order that they may not be
allowed to come to this country.
What of the future American?
Since 1889, when the government
began, to the present, over twenty
two million aliens have come to the
United States. For the best part OF q
century these immigrants were the
kind OF people that we're helpful to q
new country. Hundreds Of thousands
OF them were of races and countries
that supplied sound stock, correct
principles and valuable industry. In
the course of tho years there have
been intermarriages and many curl
GUS and interesting developments, so
that the American Of to-day in the
best sense is representative of the
frcest and most adventurous life of
the past two centuries. So far the
pT0o5S5 Of assimilation mas worked
satisfactorily, but it cannot be denied
that in recent years the aggregation
in race. temper and thought may
mean new departures that will weak.
en- the stamina Of the American char
acter.
Consider for moment that in the
new immigration we are getting every
year almost two hundred thousand
people OF no occupation. Consider
tho fact that fully one-half are Far
below the average Of our own laborers
in intellect. OConsider still further
the mental attitude of these people,
attracted here by the glowing promises
Of transportation lines. and the dis
app continent they must feel when
they find themselves in land already
overcrowded with unskilled popula-
tion.
1t makes no difference how big
country is, it Scannot afford to take
such risks And'Fyet what shall be
done 10 stop it? Theresis no desire
to shut out;oanyone who is in tho
slightest 6degrce worthy, and our
broad invitation inevitablya let's down
the bars to all sorts Of men and wo-
men. We see the result when we
fiad that in,shas6gures the arrivals
from southern Italy.outnumber the ar
rivalf from Scotland almost hundred
times-and certainly !the nation must
bear the blunt.g
And yet il is foolish to become pes.
simistic. Our vast country has work
ed out its great problems safely thue
Far. It passed the crisis Of a civil
conflict with success esuch as the
world had never witnessed, and it
will be able to handle the problem Of
immigration, remembering that many
of our best and most successful citi-
Gems ".came to US from across the seas
and added:wonderfully to the wealth,
WISDOM business expansion and prog.
ress of the nation.
Edward Everett in his great oration
on the history of liberty said:
"Had we been the unmixed descen.
dants of any one nation of Europe,
| we ahould hava retained rro,.l .,l