Arizona republican., 1903-01-13
American Distrust of the Immigrant.

American Distrust of the Immigrant.
The dangers of unrestricted immigra-
ton, and the causes for the growing
distrust of the immigrant, are dis
cussed in a fair and intelligent manner
by DR.. a. ]. Mclaughlin in the Janu-
airy number of the Popular Science
Monthly. The author finds that the
mechanic fears cheap competition, re
sulting in low wages; the stirpicultur-
list, noting the poor physique and low
mental caliber of some of the immi-
grants, fears race degeneration; the
reformer, or political purist, increase
of crime or pauperism and the influ-
ence of mass of ignorant voters con-
trolled by INSCRIPTIONS political
bosses; and the law-abiding citizen
fears from the immigrant, not only the
germ of bodily disease, but the germ CT
anarchy and also favorable media for
its growth.
The great majority of male immi-
grants are not mechanics, but unskilled
laborers. If they possess the qualifica-
tions that the early INN igrants estab-
lished as the prime requisites of a de-
sirabie immigrant-rugged physique
and willingness to work-and if there
is a demand for unskilled labor and this
demand is not met by Americans, then
their admittance or -admittance
resolves itself, today as in the past,
into n question of national economy.
The native American does not engage
in the digging of excavations, carrying
the bod, or mining. No native Ameri-
can resents that the immigrant has
turned him out of the great Pennsyl-
vania mines.
The American mechanics objection
is, however, we'll founded. There is d
large class of immigrants composed OF
men of poor physique, with their fam
lilies, admitted every year, because they
are skilled in tailoring, shoemaking,
baking or other trades which do not
require much physical strength. These
people are undesirable immigrants
They enter into direct competition with
the American tradesman or mechanic
accepting lower wages and working
more hours. The immigration tables
give the relative value of the different
races as shown by the percentage OF
skilled and unskilled laborers, as well
as the percentage of each race coming
here between the ages of fifteen and
fOrty-five. 1t is between the ages OF
fifteen and forty-five that the economic
value of the immigrant to the country
is greatest. UnskiIled laborers are aD-
sOlutely essential for our industrial
progress. The demand for the neces-
sary unskilled Iaborers is not satisfied
by native Americans.
1t appears from the tables men
toned that of the Lithuanians and
Slavs, sc per cent are unskilIed labor
ers, and closely following them in per-
centage are the Firms and Magyars
OF the Italians 10 per cent are un-
skilled, but only Is per cent of the He.
brews are so classified.
II - pOlHAeu out ny LII. MCLduSnllI
that the reformers reason for distrus,
is grave one. 1t is a fact that thou
sands of immigrants receive quaHfca-
tiOn as voters when under the law they
are clearly not entitled to it, There i.
no doubt that such a mass of ignorant
voters constitute a great power FOL
evil. But the blame can hardly b,
charged to the immigrant; rather is il
due to the INSCRIPTIONS ward politi.
clans who thus increase their following
and to the judge who grants citizenship
papers without proper investigation o
the applicant; so far as the fear o.
lOathsome and contagious disease /!
concerned, the danger is comparativeI.
slight. As far as the fear of increase o.
crime and pauperism is concerned, it 1:
true that prison statistics usually show
a majority of those convicted of crime
to be foreign born. But the industrious
statistician loses sight of the fact thai
the other half" of the population OF Z
great city, the poor and the needy, tn.
undcrpaid and the underfed. are almos
all foreign born, and it is from thi.
class, of course, that we expect to fill
our jails.