New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-08
IN FAVOR OF IMMIGRATION
An ADVOCATE.
Does Not Consider Subject Prob
lem for This Country.

Andrew Carnegie, Commissioner Robert Watch
Orn. of Ellis Island Archbishop Ireland of st.
Paul: President Eliot of Harvard University, and
Congressman Adams OF Pennsylvania, were the
principal speakers at the early sessons of the Ma
tonal Conference Immigration held in the
Madison Square Garden Concert Hall yesterday.
Mr.. Carnegie, the whole. favored immigration,
declaring that I'VE all immigrants He
said the country had many serious problems to
solve. but he did not look immigration one
of them.
He provoked a laugh from the audience when
he referred to the speaker who preceded him as
derstanding this point fully. The speaker entirely
ignoring the subject of discussion, spoke for nearly
three-qUarters of hour the Civil War. Said
Mr.. Carnegie:
what too drastic law that we have enacted. 1t is
no tol US Is f ,iT PII IL 1i oIre
draining the best blood. Prince Bismarck declared
that the United States draining the most
valuable blood of Germany. and he would pass
laws preventing the Germans from leaving their
happiness of the American Republic. Thousands
of these immigrants have to the money to
pay thelr expenses 10 America NOW hold the
prime test and the only test should exact is
of an American citizen? Has he the habits of Sc
briefly and frugality to the sum necessary for
than that If ! owned America and was running
it a business operation I would not only look
for that man, but would give every man Of that
best bargain had ever made in my life
Take the value of a man, woman or child in
average Of about ut $1,000 fifty years ago. and you
are getting 100000 year. which means $4O0C00,0]0
cash value, and every man who comes here Is a
consumer. and 80 per cent Of all the earnings Of
of some kind.
Archbishop Ireland followed Mr. Carnegie and
like him. saw no. present cause for alarm in the in
fux of immigration. Mr.. Carnegie shouted Hear.
Hear when the Archbishop said a good word
for the immigrant from Southern Europe the Hun
nd +l,z
It is now proposed by some to limit immgra-
ton. OF course We should limit 1t to exclude the
criminal to exclude the idiot. to exclude one
afflicted with contagious disease But to limit 1t
SO as to exclude man coming here qttr9e acted
to turn back upon all the traditions of the past
dred or three hundred years hence is another
question, but to-day America has not all the pOpu-
laton that it should have to develop its resources
Mr. Watchorn spoke for almost an hour, during
which he reviewed expert the causes and
ends of immigration. Touching on the increase of
immigration ne said:
This large immigration is not due to the activ
rate war existed between the steamship lines
and the rate across the ocean only 80 in many
instances In that year the immigration was 238 600
lower than it was in the succeeding year. when a
rate of $50 or more was charged. The steamship
Portation. and while this huge volume arrives it
migraton there shall not float inns in that Which,
shall be of permanent detriment to this Republic
consent. and that only be realized by act of
Congress through the force Of crystallized public
opinion.
Other addresses were made by President Eliot
Samuel Gompers. Congressman Gardiner, the Rev
Mr.. SIicer and W S. West, Lieutenant Governor
of Georgia.
ing session Addresses were made by the Rev
Joel s. Ives. Of Hartford. Conn; Dr. Edward Stein
er, of GrinneH, Iowa; Theodore Marburg. of Balti-
more; Samuel A. Hughes, of st. Louis; Warren S
Stone grand chief of the Brotherhood of LOcomO-
tive Engineers, and F. A. Burgess, of Kentucky.