Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-05-22
immigration.

fiscal year the number of immigrants
landing on our shores and establishing
for themselves abiding places vii! be
greater than for number of years past.
Great as has been the rush of Europeans
to our hOspitable shores in the past
there is promise of greater abundance
in the near future. When and what
the end will be is fit subject for a
prophet.
We have claimed that the greatness
OF our varied influences was fully equal
to the occasion, and that in due course
of time the leaven of American ideas
would operate to make good citizens of
the great majority of the new corners
Quite largely they have become added
to our laboring population. Such
condition was requisite to the develop
ment OF our resources and the expansion
OF our commercial influence. Had it
not been for the tens of thousands of
foreigners entering the mines and the
mills and the shops, we should not be
today the great exporting nation that
we are. We needed labor 4; they had it
to expend. We possessed a great deal of
room; they were ready and willing to
enter into possession. We invited them
and they came. They have met the de-
mand and done that which We required
We lead the world in our commercial
activity and growth; and largely is it
due to those who, having inherited ply
seal strength, and finding no use for it
in the land of their birth, came within
our friendly adoption, and became of
us. What has been the effect of this
amalgamation. Has the standard of
American civilization in its moral and
educational fields been raised by orr in.
hnence over them, or lowered by reason
OF their influence among us? Unoues-
tionably the civilization to which thew
came was higher than that from which
they sprung. Surer foundations were
never laid than those upon which this
nation was builded; and in all its sub
sequent uplifting and outstretching we
have not lost sight of the first principles
OF civil and religious liberty which
must, III this age of the world, precede
development. In these later years has
there been any undermining of these
early laid foundations? and has the
true cement of wisdom been always t
used as the expanding operation has
been in progress? The largest of our
cities are practically foreign; the ma
Jonty OF the population speaking more
naturally other than the English Ian.
guage. And coming here Or being born Il
here into such conditions is it easy for G
them to comprehend the structure of b
this form of government, or the customs II
OF our higher social life, the intense ac-
zion OF our commercial industries? We
oner no unkind comment. Thousands is
OF these are today among our most pros
porous men and beautiful women; but III
do we not also find among these classes &C
OF the unAmerican, the haunts of vice tf
the kennels of crime, the principal U
breeding beds of dscord and confusion fe
The amalgamation has not been perfect at
by reason OF our inability to educate Tn
and Americanize the great number who al
nave come. The mass is never fully al
learned if additions are being confirm tn
ally made to the unIearned, and no adj SO
1ltlons made to the learning influence. lei
we fear greatly that quality has been
'acrihce' to Increase the quantity; that oif
'ur expansion has so taxed rs that in NIL
he end we shall recognize a Iowerinp wa
II the standard. 1t may be that by ex. OF
luslVe laws the average quality of the Sid
hcomer Is better now than formerly, are
nut 1t most certainly is far below that we
Which is required in our city factories ma
nd on our western farms, if we would sell
revent deterioration in the life blood of he
nat civilization which was born at plv. OF
iouth and jamestown, and which was pro
'ritten into the Declaration of Indepen- PEG
ehce' Are we not today reaping har- the
ests OF anarchistic sowing, from which ing
e would have been saved had we been pro
ming to expand little slower? Has NO.,
OF the true American idea been some ' ~.
nat galvanized or modified by our 'ioh
ellngs of pride as the circle has been say
'panded, possibly at the sacrifice of its reac
rength We are not pessimistic. We still
eiieve In progress. We believe in tho
tnre OF this country. But he only is 'el'
e TOOL who refuses to behold all Sides poir
his environment; those which are in vino
e shadow, as well as those which GLOW acte
the sunlight. e''" =: