The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-27
.AMERLCANIzED BY
THE TRADE UNION.
Immigrants Made Better Citizens
by Industrial Organizations,
Says Report to President.
By w. w. Jermane.

BY w. w. Jermane.
Washington, March y27.-Last sum-
mer President Roosevelt read in news
paper an article by Mary Z. Mcdowell
Of Hull House, Chicago, pointing out
that labor unions are the great factor in
the Americanizing Of Immigrants. It
subject worth looking into, and he
asked Carroll D. Wright of the bureau
of labor. to take it up: Ethelbert
Stewart was sent to Chicago and other
large cities, with Instructions to make
careful inquiries and observations and
report. The agents report has just been
made public. NIT 1t s4s snda the views ex-
Mr.. Stewart says the influence of the
trade union ON the foreign element is
exceedingly interesting. He says:
The immigrant is, in the first place, a
wage reducer either directly or Indirect
ly, altho the extent Of his influence on
wages can not well be stated, but as a
prospective wage reducer he is met by the
labor union in self-defense, just as the
trade union meets female and child labor,
except in this, the union seeks to organize
the immigrants while it seeks by 1egis-
lation to prohibit or limit the work OF
women and children-that IS, the union
seeks the aid of the state to prevent wage
reductions by means Of female and child
labor, and it seeks. by organizing the i'm :
migrants to prevent reduction of wages
by immigration. 1t makes no claim OF
undertaking any charitable or primarily
civic education among the immigrants,
but the secondary effect of the union on
immigration is distinctively civic in char
acter. 1t is, first. and for time, the
only point at which he touches any in
f1uence outside his clan.
Seek to Reach Children.
Even the progressive forces inside the
nationality lines consider the immigrant
hopeless and seek to reach only his chill
dren-as. for instance, the officers Of the
Polish National alliance direct their efforts
towards getting the Poles to send their
children to American schools and to have
them mix up. and become a part of the
whole people. The trade union, however
must deal with the Immigrant himself
and the immigrant, when he learns that
the union wants to raise his wages, de-
crease his hours of labor, etc.. begins tc
see the necessity of learning the English
language, of understanding the institu-
tons he hears talked about in the union
meetings and other matters which inter.
est him.
It is not unlikely that President
Roosevelt will make this report the text
for the address he will deliver to the
anthracite miners Of Pennsylvania, in
August, when he goes to the mining re-
gion as the guest of John Mitchell. It
is certain that he intends to urge the
questionably his argument will be
based on the fact that unionism makes
Americans Of the foreigners in the
mines.
Influence of Union.
Mr. Stewart says his investigation
disclosed the influence Of the union in
acquainting foreigners with the workings
of the American form of government.
He relates that when agents of the gov
eminent go among foreigners who have
not had experience in the labor union,
they find them distrustful of the gov
ernment. For instance, the bureau of
labor recently, when gathering statis-
tics relating to building and loan asso-
Citations, had occasion to send agents to
settlements of Poles and Bohemians. It
was found that as soon as these foreign
ers heard the word government, or
the words "government AGENT they
closed their mouths, and it was impossi-
BILE to get any information from them.
The only way to get the desired infor-
nation was by the use of an intelli-
gent interpreter using their own Ian
guage. Mr.. Stewart adds:
Builds Up Independence.
The union is breaking down this trait
OF character in the foreigners Of the ma
tionalties mentioned. This it is doing, not
as matter Of philanthropy, but from sell
fish necessity. The immigrant must be
taught that he must stand straight up or
his 1eet; that the ward politician is de-
pendent upon him-on his vote, etc.-an6
not he on the ward politician. In this way
he first learns that he is part Of the
,o,,f nd 1ryIi1 hi {e, IL,
1ndirec tion in a large sense, there is nc
other force that it doing it SD we'll.
Mr.. Stewart tells the president how
the ignorant immigrants get their first
ideas Of the American form Of govern
ment in the labor union hall. On this
point he says:
AS the groups gather round, after the
business is over, to have things explained
to them, many of them get their first
ideas Of what the ballot and election day
mean. and the relations of these to the
government itself. In their own home
countries the two essentials. if not only
elements, Of the peasant and agricultural
laborers mind is to believe and obey, OF
follow. Advantage is taken of this fact
here by clan politicians as we'll as the clan
leader In every department. Once the
leader can make these people believe in
him, he thinks for the entire group, and
insists that their duty consists in follow
Ing his lead implicitly.
What the Union Does.
~ Necessarily, the trade union, in orde,
to get them away from the leader that OPP
posed the union on Industrial lines, would
be compelled to urge them to consider
their own personal and group interests as
wage workers; to think and act for them
selves along lines where they knew the
real conditions better than any one else
and. certainly better than their leader in
child insurance society or something
else as remote. Here, too, are the first
germs of what might be called the depart
mental thinking implanted in their minds
that is that while a leader may be
worthy Of their confidence in one thing
it does not follow that he is worthy when
some other class Of interests are at stake
1t is doubtful if any organization other
than the labor union could accomplish
I these things, for only the bread and but
ter necessity would be potent enough as
\ as influence to bring these people out OF
the fixed form and capitalization; of life
into which they have been compressed