Milford chronicle., 1904-09-09


work in your foundries." "We are for
eigners. We do not intend to become
citizens of the United States. AS soon
as we can save up a little money we
intend to return to our native land and
live there. But meantime we will work
cheaper than any American man can
work. Why? Because our living ex-
penses are practically nothing. We will
live in dugouts. We will eat food that
no American family would ea$We will
buy no books and viii wear the cheap
est clothing. As a result of these COR
ditions Of living we can crowd your
American workman to the wall"
Protect American LRbOrers.
The American laborer from this for
eign competition, must have help, and
help right soon, to save him from this
condition of affairs. Our national leg
islature must give it. Shall we lift
high our tariff walls to protect capital
and not at the same time lift high our
walls of immigration laws to protect
lean labOrers sturdy arm as valuable
in the sight of our government as the
capitalists pOcketbook? what do you
mean by such statement as that?
some one asks. Would you start an
other Know Nothing party? Would
your ballot box slogan be American
work only for the American born
American political offices only to be
held by those Graded under the shad-
ows of Mount Washington and Pixies
peakY" Oh, no, l am not preaching
any such political nonsense. do not
believe there ever was a political party
wrapped in the swaddling clothes Of
so many errors as that born in 1888,
and which, with ex-President Millard
Fillmore as its presidential candidate
swept many of our northern states In
1896 with the political cry, America
only for the American born" Ameri-
can liberties and American prowess
both on land and sea, militarily and in
dustrially, have been won and built
up by Americas adopted sons as well
as by her native born children. Were
there not foreigners among George
Washingtons mightiest companions in
arms? Baron Johann De Kalb, who was
shot at Camden ia 1880, and Kosciusko
and Lafayette and many Others-they
were all foreign born. Who was the
most valued statesman during Wash
ingtOn's administration next to the
president himself? Alexander Hamil-
ton, who was foreign born. Who was
John Ericsson, the inventor of the
Monitor that revOlutiOnized naval war
fare and saved the American navy of
Newport News? He was a Swedish
American; he was foreign born. Some
of our greatest merchants, like A. L.
Stewart of New York; our greatest
foundrymen, like Andrew Carnegie Of
Pittsburg; our greatest scientists, like
Agasslz of Harvard; our social reform
ers, like Jacob A. Riis of New York,
and the most eminent political leaders
of our day, like Carl Schurz, once SEN
ator from Missouri and member of
President Hayes cabinet-they were
all foreign born. If you blot out from
our nations history all the deeds which
Americas foster sons and daughters
have accomplished for the land Of their
adoption you blot out some Of its
brightest pages.
Where to Draw the Line.
But while we, as American citizens,
would welcome gladly into our midst
the German or Englishman or Scotch
man or Swede and the men Of any
foreign nationality who with intelli-
gence would come among US and say,
Brother, give me thy hand, for today
l would be one with you and become
an American citizen" yet today we
would not welcome the ignorant, the
idle, the filthy, the pauper, the lazza-
poni or the criminal offscOurings Of
Europe or Asia, who would come to
this land, not to become American cit-
Eens, but to stay here just long
enough to scrape together few thou
sand dollars and then go back to the
land of their birth. We would not
welcome the ignorant and depraved Of
foreign lands, who would underbid our
American wOrkmen and compel our
American boys and girls to live in
dugouts or as rats in a cellar as they
live. These classes have neither part
! nor parcel in the glorious inheritance
of freedom and equality for which our
iforefathers fought and bled. While we
would gladly open our gates to the
oppressed Of other lands, we would
shut them against a horde that can
have no appreciation for the precious
| privilege of American citizenship and
no sympathy with our national aims
and ambitions, and whose coming is as
much Of a menace to our people as the
cloud Of lOcusts is to a harvest field.
| Nations, like individuals, should be
wise as well as generous in their hos
pitality. We must protect ourselves
against the industrial lOcusts of the
old world by wise and discriminating
laws which shall do injustice to none,
and which, while vindicating our an
cient hospitality as a worldwide asy-
/ lum for the lovers Of liberty and In
danandenoe shall shut ont the gWarms