The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-23

During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1893,
the number of foreign immigrants to the
United States was S57,046, as against Gas, 473
for the previous year. From present indi-
cations foreign immigration during the cur
rent fiscal year will exceed million, thus
breaking all previous annual records. The
indifference with which Americans gen.
orally regard this tremendous influx of
foreigners argues either implicit confidence
in our ability to assimilate and Americanize
the new material or a. reckless disregard of
results. True, Congress evinccs some inter-
est in the subject and makes feeble sort
of effort to regulate and control the matter,
much. For forty years past foreign immi-
grafton has increased in every decade. and
much of the time every year. But the
movement began long before that In 1923
we received e.354 foreign IMMIGRANTS
very small premonition of what was to fol-
low In 1888 the number had increased to
$3.50. in 1s43 to 1O4.565. in 1853 to SsS6i5. in
1863 it fell of to 1925 25. increasing again in
1878 to 45s.sOa in 1883 to 6oSs22. in 1893 to 49,.
$50 and in 1903 to S5I.046 The arrivals every
year of each decade were as large or larger
than those named. The effect of this immi-
grafton on the population can be traced
since 1850 in the number of foreign-born
citizens enumerated by the census. In 1850
these were 2.244,6O2. in 1860 they were Abs
697. in 1870 they were 5.5s7. 229. in-1Sso0 they
were 6.67ss43. in 1890 they were 9.SoS, 104. and
in 1900 they were 10. 4s0.os5. In 1850 foreign
born citizens constituted 10 per cent. of the
entire population. and in 1900 they consti-
tuted IA per cent. These figures do not in
clude the children born In this country Of
foreign-born parents. but they are sufficient
to show that the character of our popula-
sion has undergone and is still undergoing a
radical change from that cause. But the
most significant feature of the situation is
the change in the character OF our foreign
immigration during the last few decades.
Between 1870 and 1880 the immigration from
Great Britain constituted 43 per cent. of the
whole. that from Germany 81 per cent. that
from The Netherlands IL per cent, that
from Italy. Russia. Poland and Austria
cent. During the fiscal year 1902 the immi-
grafton from Great Britain was per cent.
of the whole. from Germany 4 per cent.
from The Netherlands s per cent. from
italy. Russia. Poland and Austria Hungary
10 per cent. all others 10 per cent Thus.
not only is the tide of foreign immigration
increasing, but its character has undergone
a marked change owing to a large decrease
Of desirable immigrants and a correspond
ingly large increase of undesirable ones
Some of the results are seen In a falling OF
of skilled iabore-s among immigrants. an
increase OF unskilled laborers and an in
crease of illiteracy. crime and pauperism
II is in evidence that the native white chill
dren of foreign-born parents are less law
! abiding than the foreign-born whites, and
contrast very unfavorably with the native
whites of native parentage. AS to pauper.
! ism. the census OF 1880 showed that in every
| million of the population there were SO ma
| tive white paupers and s.1sl foreign white
paupers. The crime and paunerism Stats