The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-11-25
immigration TESTS
The Educational Qualification Versus
Other Qualifications.


The old question of restriction OF
immigration Is coming up again.
Senator Lodge favors an educational
qualification. This is perhaps natural
In Massachusetts, Senator. since It
Is reasonably certain that in Massa-
chusetts popular education has been
the only means by which disorder,
.Iawlessness, and pauperism have been
averted. In a manufacturing State,
peopled largely by foreigners, as
Massachusetts has been since the fiji
ties. the common school Is the great
civilizing Influence, the great influence
in favor of public spirit, patriotism,
and public and private morality. But
IL agricultural regions like the West
and South, or great commercial cen
ters like New York. the situation Is
somewhat different.
This Is ere OF the most important
and difficult problems confronting the
American people today, 1t Is difficult
because il is not the same today as 1t
was a generation ago; the character
OF the immigrant Is not the same, and
his destiny in this country Is not the
same. Twenty-Five or fifty years ago
the educational qualification would
undoubtedly have been more effective
than the property qualification IN Sc
curing the best SON of immigrants.
At present there is reason to question.
this, and to believe that 1t is not alto
gether a bad plan to insist on the i'm
migrant possessing some money with
which to begin his new life.
We have all the illiterate, ignorant,
abiectly poor citizens we can take
care Of now. We have all the labor
of that kind which the country needs,
More of it will simply make the labor
problem more perplexing, and lower
tie wages of workingmen. The peas
ant from the Old World who has had
enterprise enough 10 scrape together
some dollars with which to support
himself while finding his proper place
Is likely TO be quite as valuable eiti-
zen as If he could read and write and
understand the Constitution; and he
is a good deal more valuable when 1t
comes to developing agricultural re-
gems
A man may be honest. industrious.
and moral in some of the countries of
Eastern Europe. without ever learn
ing to read or write, simply because
schools are scarce where he happens
to live. But If he is honest, indus
trious and moral, and has the enter
prise to make living IN the New
World, he can probably get together
some money. After he reaches tins
country he may be able 10 bring over
members OF his family. He viii Ger
tainly do better for himself and for
them If he has, when he reached New
York. enough money to keep hinI
from becoming a charge on the city
and enable hun to get farther West,
where his labor may find market.
II is important that Eastern manufae-
turing towns should not be further
eiutted with he improvident and illit-
crate. In the rural districts Of the
Middle West. or the developing far
Western States, an illiterate man can
settle down, make a fairly good eiti-
zen. and educate himself and his chill
dren, because the labor in demand
there Is agricultural, and he has moi
10 pit his linifed intelligence against
The sharpness of million city work
ers. He can 90 through natural
/ process of development, as the early
Americans did Bu for the improvi
dent immigrant there Is no place any
where. least OF all IN a city.