The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-20
IAN OBJECT LESSON TO THE
SOUTH"

ing paragraph from al editorial Of
The CommercialAppeal, of Memphis:
This new north seems to have no
regard for the law. for good govern
ment. for honest elections. for the rule
Of the people. Democracy has yielded
to h boss. One hundred thousand H.
by republican machine in Philadelphia.
The mob is COG of the walk in Chica-
g,. The thieves are lords Of the as
cendant in P~ittsbnrg. Every citizen
in Rhode Island practically is for sale.
New Jersey glories in her corporate
rrt:enness. New York is the rendez-
vous for official blackmaii and corpor-
ate plumber. And SO 1t goes The
new north seems to be without NOR
ais. without virtues. without honesty
and without n RECOGNITION whatever
of the elemental PRINCIPLES Of popu-
lar government"
Upon this text The Tradesman
bases an argument against immigra-
ton to the south. That paper says it
assumes the entire correctness of the
picture drawn by The Commercial-Ap-
peal in the above quotation and says
that this d%eplorable state of affairs
could exist in this country from only
one cause.-The lowering of our stand
ard of citizenship through indiscrim-
mate admission of immigrants.
Admitting, for the sake of argument,
that this "deplorable state of affairs"
does exist in the localities named does
it follow that the causes producing such
conditions are due to the admitting
Of a low element of immigrants into
III country? Are the political affairs
of any of our cities or states controlled
by the lower classes Of immigrants?
Do they have any thing to do with
state and municipal affairs? Should
it be true that they do is that any ar
gument against the admission of the
better class of citizens of Europe who
wish to come to our country to build
homes for themselves? We do not de-
ny that under the lax administration
of our immigration laws many Objec-
tiOnable characters r admitted. That,
though, is no argument against immi-
grants of a proper character. The fur
Their fact commented upon by The
Tradesman that so many of these i'm
migrants are fraudulently granted
naturalization papers is no argu-
ment against opening our doors
to honest, thrifty foreigners who
oCn Cn0Iinr hnpoAc n-,nnr ,c
We have laws enacted to keep out
the criminal and INDECENT class of for
eigners. We have laws regulating the
naturalization of foreign born persons.
When these laws are evaded it is done
by the %cOnnivance and collision of Of
fcers of our government. They are
responsible for such state of affairs
and not the immigrants. With honest
officers and proper enforcement of the
laws there would be no such menace
as The Tradesman alludes to.
Are we to refuse homes to desirable
home-seekers because we have corrupt
officials, the appointees of our own
government?
If the people and the government put
up with corruption in office shall the
fault be laid to the laws which these
officials are supposed to enforce?
If we want to protect ourselves
against an undesirable class of immi-
grants the way to do so is not to shut
the doors against all immigrants but
to GUST the r~ascally officers and see that
their places are filled with honest and
capable men who will do their duty.
A community's moral standing is
what the people make it. If any town,
city Or section is dominated by a COR
rupt and immoral clique it is because
the majority of the people whom it
rules are willing to let such men have
control of public affairs. No commun-
ity in which a majority of the people
oppose such rule will be long subjected
to it. Where the people demand purity
in politics and are in earnest in such
demand they will get it.
The low, immoral, dishonest class of
foreigners who have come to our
shores are not in such force in any one
of u cities that they can control its
affairs without the aid or connivance
of the American population.
The south needs more Industrious
men to help develop her resources.
She can get them only by bringing in
from the northern states or
from Europe, chiefly from the latter.
She is not going to open her doors to
the riff-raff of Europe, and because the |
northern cities choose to do so is no |
reason why she should give up her
endeavor to secure the other kind, nor |
is such action any n to her fu- |
ture political or social welfare. We