The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-22

existed at all. in foreign lands. and
 this splendid republic, owned and con
 trolied today by the descendants of
 these immigrants, is a vindication of
 its policy.
 Statistics of Immigration. No official statistics of immigration
 were kept in this country previous to 1920. Dr. Loring, of the United States statistical bureau, calculates that 250.- 900 immigrants came to the United States between 1775 and 1920. During the following years there was a steady increase, the number reaching 427.S33 | in 1854. From 1854 there was a grad ual falling off until during the first year of the civil war there were only | 91.920. In 1882 the arrivals were 7sO,- s92. From 1920 to the close of 1893. there were more than 20.000.000 immi- grants. The report for 1896 shows s43,267 against 603.322 in 1883, which | was the result of legislation restrict | ing immigration. which was enacted in 1882.
 From 1890 to 1soO the increase of foreigners in the United States was | 1.151.ss1. Of these. are located in New York. 32s.375: Massachusetts. 16s,1S7: Illinois. 124,400; North Dakota, 131,63O; Montana, 23.971; Washington, 2l.359. d 1855. Georgia had an increase of 266,
 Mississippi, 29, and Arkansas. 25.
 These figures demonstrate that very few of these immigran nts come to the Southern States.
 Character of Immigrants. MT. Cleveland in his first annual message in 1885, in speaking of the re-
 striction of Chinese immigration and
 in calling attention to the disturbances
 in the Western States and Territories,
 resulting in the murder of many Chi
 namen, said
 Race prejudice is the chief factor 1t exists in a large part of our domain. jeopardizing our domestic peace and good relationship which we strive to maintain with China. The admitted right of a government to prevent the influx of clements hostile to Its inter nal peace and security may not bc questioned even where there Is no treaty stipulation on the subject"
 In the message to Congress in Octo- ber. 1888. he said:
 The experiment of blending the so- eial habits and race idiosyncrasies of the Chinese laboring class with those of the great body of the people of the United States has been proved by the experience of twenty years and ever since the Burlingame treaty of 1868. to he in every sense unwise. impolitic and injurious to both nations. With the lapse of time, the necessity for its abandonment has grown in force until those having in charge the government of the respective countries have re- solved to modify and sufficiently abro-
 gate all those features of prior con-
 ventional arrangements which permit
 the coming of Chinese laborers to the
 United States"
 MT. Harrison, in his annual message,
 December 3, 1889. in speaking of the
 failure of the treaty negotiated by Mir.
 Cleveland and of the legislation en- acted by Congress said: While our
 supreme interests demand the exciu-
 sion of a laboring element which ex-
 perience has shown to be incompa tible
 with our social life, all steps to com
 pass this imperative need. should be accompanied with the recognition or
 the claims of these strangers now
 lawfully among us to humane and just treatment"
 Desirable Citizens. From these remarks Of the above
 quoted distinguished Presidents, we find the
 first restrictions and the reasons there- for of immigrants to be limited to the
 race that dominates and controls the commonwealth. Therefore, immigra- tion of other races than the white to the United States or to Alabama is not only against the laboring and indus trial interests of the country but also affords irremovable barriers to social and ethical assimilation. This Is not only true of immigrants of races diff fering from the white race but 1t Is also true and pre-eminently true, of races
 born In the United States. In other words, the highest state of civilization. material and moral development can
 only be achieved where there Is a har-
 monious operation of national and nat ural characteristics. However good a given race may be as a laborer, if there are natural barriers to social and political assimilation, he does not rep resent the best laborer and citizen. In Alabama. therefore. there are two req sons for immigration.
 1. To supply a sufficient population to employ and develop the natural re-
 sources of the State, and.
 g. To ultimately displace those of a different race and therefore naturally | barred from ultimate social and politi- cal assimilation.
 The second purpose can only be ac- Icomplished after all available opportun- ities for white immigrants shall have been utilized, and 1t Is often urged against the policy of immigration, that | to introduce foreigners who are citi- zens of monarchical governments IS dangerous to a republic. The question Is not whether they are citizens of | monarchical or republican form of gov
 ernmcnt but are they good citizens Anj do they obey the law. A citizen of monarchical government who obeys and maintains the supremacy of the law Is a better citizen of any country
 or government than the citizen Of republic, who does not obey but treats with contempt the supremacy and ma iesty of the law Statistics upon the observance of law demonstrates. espe- cially in Great Britain and Germany
 that there Is less criminal aggression.