Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-11-21
PEOPLES PULPIT.
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Sees Peril in Im:niaratic n.

Editor Courier-The q estion of inn
migration in the United States is be-
coming more alarming every day.
Even the most conservative free born
American citizen cannot but note the
effects of foreign thousands invading
our lands, from whose ranks chiefly
come the law-defying anarchist. AL
tho gh many of these foreigners, es-
pecjally of the German, English and
Swedish nationality, become law abid
ing citizens, yet those from southern
Europe and Asia Minor can never be
admitted except as hindrance to
our nation.
1t has been estimated by one writer
that nine-tenths of all Italians coming
to this cocntry are members of Sc
cret organization known in detective
and police circles as the Malta"
which has committed divers robber-
les and horrible murders in different
sections of the country, particularly in
the large eastern centers. where the
foreign population is numerous. This
society has so successfully eluded
detectives that it is regarded more in
the light of the mysterious than the
horrible reality.
The only restriction placed on i'm
migrants is that they have health and
money, except in cases like convicts,
polygamists or people with shady rep.
utations.
Many immigrants are almost en-
tirely ignorant of civilization and not
only are thousands of them entirely
un- American in all their customs and
ideas but many are highly illiterate.
For instance:
Italians (north), 40 per cent litter
ate.
Poles, 80 per cent illiterate.
Hebrew, IS per cent illiterate.
.in,, A A a
Russian, 81 per cent illiterate.
Portuguese, 40 per cent illiterate.
Many countries not mentioned have
almost as high a per cent as this
among their immigrants coming to
this country.
Another one of the great evils of
this inflow of aliens is that 81 per
ghenies. Here they congregate in
! the foreign quarters of our large
cities and in time become a perfect
menace to peace and order.
Italians are now coming in at the
rate of 65,42S year, 81 per cent or
1892 Italians settled in our western
states last year. AS all possible crowd
in the towns it is no wonder our cities
grow SO fast. BIT are they desirable
citizens? During the year 1902, 1000
aliens applied for help who had been
in the United States only one year and
were entirely destitute.
BY referring to the pamphlet pub
lished by the Immigration department
you will see that the number of de-
sirable immigrants from the northern
and western countries are decreasing
while those from Italy, Greece, Aus
/ tria, Hungary, Turkey, Russia, Syria
| etc, are increasing bv the thousands
| yearly.
| The Chinese We're excluded because
they injured the laboring class and
! introduced customs obnoxious to
America. Aliens from southern and
| eastern Europe and Asia Minor not
only introduce offensive customs and
! injure the industrial welfare, but they
stand up against our government
Thus we are admitting tho sands OF
anarchists into our country yearly
and will in all probability do so at g
much larger rate in future unless some
restrictions are placed on immigra-
ton and ] think it the duty of every
| American citizen to see that proper
Legislation is taken in this matter. Like
Rome, our strength is being Slapped
by the invader. An American.
|