The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-04-06
Variations b James Bryce After a
Return Call Interest the
Public. l5 Il \

Such eyide nt interest has been
aroused BY thegyiews Of RI. Hon.
James Bryce, NJ. P. as contributed
10 the Outlook, Sof the changes he de-
dects in American institutions and
manners during his visits of 1870 and
1904 that we venture. to pillage the
columns OF the 5wellknown New York
publication for. another installment.
Bryce writes: ~
Tleso other race question n. e., other
than the negrol which startles by It's
immehsityEeyery one who visits the
United States has materially changed
sSaspect sincet1s7O. In that day the
Immigrants who entered the ports
came almost entirely from the British
Isles "a great part Of them Irish),
from Germany and from the scandi.
snaytan kingdoms. Now. though tho
stream from those countries still
iloWss if3wlth weaker current, multi:
tudes& come from Southern. Europe.
There are Italians and Slavs from the
Balkan peninsula and. from East Cen.
trial Europe; there are Russians,
Poles, Romans, Serbs, Slovaks and
some Magyars; the Russian and Polish
Immigrants mainly Of Jewish race.
Fewer but remarkable for their en-.
81 Eergy and Intelligence, are the Arme.
mans and the Films. All these races
are much further removed from the
native Americans than were the Celts
who came from Ireland and the leu.
tonsswho came from both sides of the
Baltic, elements which made good
blendsin America, as they did long
ago In Lowland Scotland and in Ul-
ster; 1t remains 10 be seen what the
result Of this influx will be. The
slays of Eastern Europe are backward
In culture, but they are not wanting
in natural gifts.
Those who know The schools anu
3she public libraries of New York dc,
clare that no part Of It's population
shows q keener intelligence than do
the children of the Jewish and the
Italian Immigrants Little fear need
there be that the intellectual level Of
the American people will decline. But
whether in other respects the quality
Of the stock will be altered by SO vast
an infusion Of strange blood is an
other question. Some hold that the
American type will, through the
schools and through business and so
ctal relations, ultimately also through
irferinarriage so stamp itself upor
thenext generation that the progcn!
Of the Central Europeans will grow
np Americans to all intents and pur
& poses; Americans in aptitudes and II
character as well us in patriotism
Others conceive that the type, stront
as II is, cannot fail to be modified b!
the transmission of the ingrained ten
denotes of Slay, or Jew or Italian.
Is al question between heredity on tn
\ II one side and athe assimilative powe
Of society on the other, and the dat
we possess ~ as to the respectiv
strength OF these two forces are no
at present sufficient to answer tn
question. This extension of the OF
World. area from which the curren
Migration sets is perhaps the most r.
stlarEable Of all the changes am tr.
Ing to- enumerate. 1t might have bee
predicted thirty or forty years aig
for although the Jews were less pc
secuted then, yet Eastern Europe VT
already beginning to be opened i
" by railways and It was evident th
4 ocean transportation would becon
cheaper. But was 1t predicted?
think not.
"a Even IL they stray for nome
from the straight path by returnil
ss the candidate Of the party TO whit
that particular native American is {
n posed they are sure 10 return to tn
81 path, and the leaders of that par
IS will, after all, be able TO do no gre
harm, because the people will che
them. No such feeling exists in I
rope Z. In Germany the governi
81 class breads the spread of Socialis
will dread 1T all the more If 1t con
70 influence the majority of the vote
will strive fiercely against ii if
- -
should prevail in the Reichstag. '
expect ruin from its predominant
i In France the Republicans In
from their experience of Boulangi
and. OF the Dreyfus struggle that II
mot impossible that Monarchism
Clericallsm may succeed in upset.
the republic. They would not tn
that France was safe in the hands
q numerical majority, and If pie
cite set up al King or an emperor {
dictator Of any sort that would