The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-29
LARGE INFLUX
OF IMMIGRANTS
Statistics Show That Amer
lean Citizenship Needs
Protection

The detailed statistics for last
months immigration have not yet been
completed, but the total number of I'M
migrants admitted at New York from.
July to November, inclusive, was 1884,
419; of that number 81, 9S1 were under
fourteen years of age, 1929 were be-
tween fourteen and forty-five years
and 1920 were past forty-five. There
were 1,216 paupers. More than $4,000
could neither read nor write, and 107,-
74S had less than $40 each. OF the 1884,.
419, 1853 were females. The Italian
immigrants remain for the most part
in this section of the country, chiefly
in and about New York; the greater
portion Of the Hebrews stay in this
city and vicinity.
The total number of immigrants that
arrived at this port and were admitted
in 1902, up to and including Dec 90,
was 545,750 as compared with 4O7,70
in 1891, gain this year Of more than
$4,000. In the month Of May alone
there arrived S2,054. The importation
of paupers from foreign shores has
reached a state which demands the
most serious consideration. More than
half our white population is Of foreign
birth or parentage; the greater portion
of the inmates of our insane asylums,
almshouses and jails are aliens; less
than half the immigrants who come to
us are anything more than unskilled
day laborers; and one great cause of
enforced idleness, throwing more than
million people out of work every
year, is the fact that foreigners are
coming much faster than employment
can be found.
These are a few of the conditions,
economical and social, out of which
springs the necessity for additional
general measures of restrictions than
We have heretofore felt the need Of
placing on the statute books. Some
thing must evidently be done; but as
yet no one has proposed method that
is entirely satisfactory or promises to
be wholly sufficient as a remedy.
The theory that American citizenship
is of special value and dignity will ul-
timately pass into reproach and ridi-
cule unless we speedily set about re-
lfeving it from the dangers that beset
it. Access to it's privileges is made al
together too easy, and ignorant and
characterless persons Of foreign birth
and with no desire, intention or capac~
ity for assimilating our ideas, are free
ly made into nominal Americans and
forthwith proceed to abuse their new-
found and unappreciated freedom. Men
of this stamp come to this country, re-
side a sufficient length Of time to be-
cCme naturalized under our laws, re-
ceive their papers, obtain passports to
foreign homes, where they fall back
upon their American citizenship to pre-
serve them from compliance with the
laws, and at the same time ignore all
actual allegiance to our government.
American laws relating to immigration
and naturalization contemplate no such
result as this.
The principles of our free institu-
items require every citizen to bear his
due proportion of responsibility and
cost Of maintaining our government in
all its varied and beneficial operations.
Of course, the naturalized foreigner liv-
ing abroad has no part nor lot in the
common concern Of the people, and is
In effect enjoying the possession of
valuable right which cost him MOTH
Ing and was really obtained by hi n un.
der false pretenses. Americans, ma
tive and naturalized, cannot afford to
allow their precious heritage to be
squandered by bestowing it's blessings
upon persons who return no equivalent
therefore and have only contempt for
the country which throws about them
the shield of protection. The time has
come to take this matter resolutely II
hand. Let us rigidly exclude from our
shores the paupers and criminals that
other nations are SO ready to ship hith-
er, and then be careful that citizenship
shall be conferred only upon those ca
pable of worthily discharging it's duties.
To do this it may be necessary to rad
ically reconstruct our laws, and If so
the work cannot be begun too soon as
measure of national self protection.