The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-27


whites Of native pArsntaee; u Man
haitian borough only about 8 sixth.
In this small percentage Of people Of
native birth, moreover. wero included
the grandchildren Of foreigners. II
you carried the ancestry even only
one generation further back you would
find that the real Americans In
New York arc not . tsnth, probably
not moro than q twentieth, part Of the
inhabitants. Since 1900 this percentage,
too, has bsen been eliminating steadily,
for during that period has taken place
the greatest immigration In our history,
and Of this alien food q very large part
has remained In New York.
The real American element Ia New
York must be nth numerically In the
distribution Of the races In the popnla-
ton. OF Germans, Irish and Jews the
number Of each race h about tho sanae,
or about 10000. with the Jews gaining
by far larger present immigration.
The Italians must now be toward half
a million, and they also are increasing
rapidly. The real Americans might
be estimated 40 about half a. many "a
the Italians.
How have the order and moral condi.
ton Of the town been affected by this
introduction Of so great preponderanoe
Of the foreign elements? Before the
time of the famous Know Nothing agi-
tation New York was relatively . far
more disorderly community than 1t IL
now. Riots were frequent. Elections
were VIGOROUSLY vitiated by frauds.
Political animosities entered into private
life and destroyed friendships. The
housing Of the poorer part OF the popu-
lation was wretoh and disgraoeful.
CHARLES DICKENS described the old
Five Points Of about the middle Of the
last oentury-at the meeting place Of
Baxter, Worth and Park streets--as In
respect Of filth and wretchedness COM
parable only with the very worst quarters
in any city Of the world. Now that dis
trict has been transformed 30 that it,
past evil fame 10 scarcely conceivable
Wy OuC AuLCl S0ACl 0tAUls
New York, too, was very provincial
town in 1850, and relatively to the pres-
ent Of little wealth and luxury. Its
steady material advancement has been
ooincident with the great irnmigra-
ton Of which the native Americans"
were so much afraid, and its political
progress has been not less. The Tam
many of that time and before was largely
ruled by "native Americans yet it
was a rowdy sort Of concern a. COM
pared with the Tammany under the
Irishman, Mr.. MURPHY, Of to-day.
We agree with Mr.. BLOCK, therefore,
that the "super-men, as he call, the
pretension Of the native Americans, I"
needed improvement and were improved
by the introduction Of the foreign ele-
ments added to this town and this Union
in the last sixty years. It may even
be questioned IL the best immigration
to America did not come over during
that period. Jews and Guineas u?
How about the convicts and the sre-
demptioners' transported to the Ameri-
can Colonies in the early periodr %
It is favorite complaint with certain
superficial observers that tho quality of
the immigrants coming over now il much
poorer than that Of those Of the past,
from northern Europe. Fifty or sixty
years ago the same sort of philosophers
we're groaning over the current deteriora-
ton Of the supply. As to religion, there
was far more alarm than there is now.
Horrible visions Of Papal domination and
Of the revival Of the Inquisition here in
America disturbed the slumber, Of
Know Nothings.
1t is question with some chronological
students il the native Americans
by themselves would not have become
a rather savage and bloodthirsty race II
this great alien flood had not happily
poured in. Native American lynchings
at the South certainly suggest Co
manche Indian ferooity, ana the police
experts say that the native American
rioter, the Plug Ugly ID tho most
brutal Of ALL The aliens have helped
to civilize our spirit and broaden our
view. They have made us lees pro-
vinoial. They have given US the strength
with which VIC have builded up our
material prosperity and become . great
Power in the world.
An Old FavOrite and . New Econo-